Sustainability & Environment
This statement provides an outline of how Peak Astronomy operates so as to have a positive overall impact on the environment and sustainability and how we work to improve in these areas.
Peak Astronomy has both a natural focus and personal interest in the environment within which we live and operate, as well as in the wider world around us. We also operate our sister business under the name of myGuidedWalks where our activities have a particular focus on nature and the natural environment and the often delicate ecosystems. For astronomy there is an obvious interest in the sky and in particular air quality, both light pollution and air pollution have a huge impact on astronomy and the natural world around us and humans in general. The only time I've been able to easily see the milky way from my garden with the naked eye was during the Spring of 2020 as a result of much lower air pollution and to some degree light pollution levels during the first lockdown.
Peak Astronomy:
Is committed to having a positive overall impact on the environment.
We support and promote local groups who help achieve these aims such as the Moors For The Future Partnership and other local environment volunteer groups. In addition to financial contributions which can be opted into as part of our booking process we volunteer for activities that support moorland restoration and the education of the public.
Always considers our and our customers' environmental impact and look for ways to improve the way we operate.
Took the decision to set up our business without any new physical facilities. As such we have already limited our impact in a significant way.
We have a very minimal requirement for products and consumables other than our telescopes and cameras.
Minimise our business travel for training, meetings and conferences as much as practical, seeking online/virtual opportunities where possible and offer the training we deliver online in addition to face to face.
Will aim to cut travel emissions through the electric/hydrogen/hybrid or other appropriate technologies at the time of replacement of my existing car (purchased as a green / eco model at the time of purchase). Advice suggests it would not make environmental sense to replace it with electric at present (factoring in running emissions vs EV car production emissions).
Facilitate and encourage the use of public transport as much as possible, although as many of our activities take place at night it will not always possible. For this reason we have also adopted an approach of focussing our services predominantly within a 25 mile radius.
Action Plan 2024
Peak Astronomy aim to:
Continue to look for opportunities to support the work of the Moors For The Future Partnership or other similar organisations through volunteering, with a target of 5% of our activity hours to be allocated to volunteering. For us this is more realistic than providing financial support.
To seek ways to improve our overall impact on the environment and further minimise the emissions related to our and our customers activities.