Story is an award-winning creative agency, based in Edinburgh and Birmingham, that provides marketing, advertising, and communications services for clients across a wide range of channels and sectors. Their high-profile clients include the Home Office, Macmillan Cancer Support, and several spirits brands from within LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton).
CLIENT OBJECTIVES
Story’s parent company, MISSION Group, tasked all their agencies with setting up an Environmental Management System (EMS), certified to the ISO 14001 standard, which led to their partnership with Green Element. Although Story had an informal environmental policy, they wanted something more robust and officially validated. Story welcomed the opportunity to set up an EMS as they knew it would have multiple benefits. The EMS would centralise Story’s environmental strategy, boost the business reputation with an internationally recognised ISO 14001 certification, and offer a competitive edge. It also covers all environmental impacts (land, air, water, waste), ensures ongoing improvements, and attracts staff by showing strong ESG policies.
BUSINESS CHALLENGES
Initially, Story intended to set up the EMS independently with internal team members and support from fellow green champions within the MISSION Group. However, they soon realised that the EMS required significant time and technical expertise, leading them to seek further assistance from Green Element. The Green Element team integrated seamlessly as the fourth member of Story’s team, initiating regular check-ins and contributing their expertise.
HOW GREEN ELEMENT HELPED
To establish Story’s EMS, we followed a structured approach:
- We conducted a gap analysis to assess existing environmental initiatives and avoid duplication.
- Set up weekly meetings to address each ISO 14001 clause and create the necessary documentation. This involved:
- defining the EMS scope
- identifying key personnel
- crafting the environmental policy
- evaluating primary environmental impacts
- setting annual objectives, and ensuring compliance with all legislation
- We conducted an internal audit to identify areas of non-conformance and improvement before the external audit.
We aimed to integrate the EMS seamlessly into Story’s operations, enabling long-term independent management. To achieve this, we trained the EMS team, senior management, and the wider team on the EMS’s purpose, integration into daily activities, and document updates. To achieve this, we:
- Maintained a training register and recorded weekly meetings.
- Created a handbook outlining steps for updating each document.
- Met with the Chair and CEO to clarify the EMS’s purpose and discuss goals, resources, and timelines.
- Held a company-wide meeting to introduce the EMS, its purpose, relevance, and how employees could contribute, including an introduction to carbon footprinting.
CLIENT OUTCOMES:
Story now has a fully functioning EMS aligned with ISO 14001 standards. To achieve this, we:
✅ Conducted an environmental risk assessment.
✅ Identified main environmental impacts.
✅ Set targets for continuous sustainability improvement.
✅ Ensured compliance with all environmental regulations.
✅ Calculated and analysed environmental performance, including the carbon footprint.
✅ Established sustainability policies, such as a sustainable travel decision tree and an environmental policy.
The EMS will help Story continuously reduce its environmental impact each year.
CLIENT OBJECTIVES
BUSINESS CHALLENGES
