As a membership association AUGIS (Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery of Great Britain and Ireland) is committed to minimising the impact of its activities on the environment. Through reducing the environmental impact of its operations by positive action and working with our suppliers and members, AUGIS can work to achieve environmental sustainability as an organisation, which we hope can in turn influence others.

• Minimise waste by evaluating operations and suppliers to ensure they are as efficient and as sustainable as possible.
• Promote recycling and reduction of waste, both internally and amongst our members and suppliers.
• Source and promote IT, office solutions and conference opportunities to minimise the environmental impact of both the charities aims and activities.
• Meet or exceed environmental legislation that relates to the Charity
• Minimise direct and in-direct emissions through the selection and use of in-house equipment along with encouraging the use of sustainable transport options for staff, trustees and members, including reducing the number of domestic and international air flights used by the association and its representatives.
• Use an accredited program to offset the greenhouse gas emissions generated by our activities and encourage members to do the same. 
• When organising conferences, regional and local meetings, to have an holistic overview and work with our conference venues and conference suppliers to ensure that our activities and events are managed to ensure sustainability and reduce emissions from all associated activities; including but not limited to travel, catering and menus, food sourcing, production, energy use and recycling.
• Where possible measure energy use for our activities.
• Work alongside our members, towards achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and preferably sooner, for all our activities.
• Use education tools for the association to recognise the need for a sustainable organisation and to adopt and adapt as necessary.
• Work with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals going forward.

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The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

Source: sdgs.un.org/goals

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AUGIS is already working to meet the Sustainable Development Goals in the work we already do. Find out more below and how we are working to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals: 

• We are running the AUGIS Mentorship Programme: Good health and well-being, gender equality, reduced inequalities
• We have an EDI framework in place for our council and meetings; all faculty hav to be from a diverse background: gender equality, reduced inequalities
• We provide fellowships and bursaries: Quality education, gender equality, industry  and innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, peace, justice and strong institutions
• We are planning a legacy event and will reach out to children from under privileged schools and host them at our ASM in the hope to introduce them to medicine/surgery and hopefully towards an interest in Upper GI Surgery: No poverty, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities
• Women in surgery – creating a platform to discuss the challenges of being a woman in today’s surgical world as well as juggling family life: Gender equality, reduced inequalities, good health and wellbeing, decent work and economic growth
• We have reduced the amount of waste our events produce by introducing a paperfree event: Sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, partnership for the goals
• We have introduced an event management system which will assist on reporting on the principles within the framework; partnership for the goals

Below are some useful guides and links for members, to consider how we as individuals and a community can  very easily take a few steps and consider the enviroment and create a sustainable approach to all our activities. 

Let us know if you have any ideas or suggestions which you would like to see AUGIS provide on this website, by contacting nichola@augis.org

Emma Pattee - Climate shadow

According to the writer and journalist Emma Pattee, the climate shadow is a concept “to help each of us visualize how the sum of our life choices influences the climate emergency“.
"Imagine your climatic shadow as a dark shape extending behind you. Wherever you go, it goes too, accounting not just for your air-conditioning use and your car’s gas consumption, but also for how you vote, how many children you choose to have, where you work, how you invest your money, how much you talk about climate change, and whether your words amplify urgency, apathy or denial." (Emma Pattee February 2021)
 

Our events for members and non-members take place at venues across the UK. We strive to use venues which are accessible to everyone, whether you have a disability (including any hidden disability). We also want our conferences and meetings to be easily accessible by public transport, but we realise that not all public transport options are accessible for people with a disability. 

We welcome feedback and comments if you would like us to address a specific accessibilty issue and you can do so by contacting the AUGIS office by email or by phone. 

Email Nichola Bartlett at  nichola@augis.org or call: 0207 869 6115