Sustainability
ITI's commitment to promoting sustainably.
In July 2021 ITI signed up to the Professional Bodies Climate Action Charter. In doing so, alongside 45 of the UK's leading professional institutions, ITI highlighted its commitment to supporting members in prioritising both the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement in our work.
The Charter requires three commitments from professional bodies. Firstly a pledge to chart a path to help their members deliver sustainability across their organisation or business, and a promise to report on and share resources. Secondly it commits institutions to speaking with a unified voice in discussions with other bodies, the government, and the public in support of wider climate action.
And finally, institutions signing up to the Charter have pledged to empower and inspire their members to drive sustainable growth, by providing continuous professional development tools, principles, and resources that help enable the adoption of environmental best practices. Read more about the Climate Action Charter.
Practional actions
ITI is also committed to becoming a more sustainable organisation; here are measures we have taken so far.
Our office
We rent office space on a business campus owned and managed by Capital Space. Capital Space is committed to sustainability and a member of their Milton Keynes team is designated as an eco-champion with responsibilty for implementing green policies on site. Recent initiatives have included measures to reduce energy use and the creation of a bike shelter to encourage sustainable transport. You can read more about Capital Space's green policy on their website.
Operations
The team have been working to reduce the resources we use and be more sustainable wherever possible. Here is what we have achieved over the last 3 years.
- We actively implement and promote the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle approach.
- More than 95% of our membership packs are now sent by email rather than by post.
- The ITI Bulletin is available to view online and almost a third of members now read the Bulletin this way.
- Our ITI Bulletin printer, Duncan Print Group, is committed to eco-friendly printing and packaging practices.
- Only essential documents are printed in the office. We have achieved a reduction of 90% in our printing in the last 4 years.
- We endeavour to support local independent businesses by utilising their products and services.
- Board meetings are held at Kents Hill Park which has a strong commitment to sustainability, minimising food wastage and prioritising local sourcing.
Travel
- We only hold two in-person Board meetings each year (in Milton Keynes). Board members are encouraged to use public transport and to share taxis where necessary.
- We have adopted a hybrid approach to working which saves on average 1000 miles of staff travel by car a week. Using public transport is promoted through access to the Bike 2 Work scheme; the CEO is the proud owner of a Brompton folding bicycle which she uses in combination with train travel.
Events
- Replacing in-person workshops with online events has significantly reduced our carbon footprint and that of participants.
- We continue to take steps to reduce the carbon footprint of our ITI Conference. Since 2022 we have implemented a number of measures such as not printing programmes and encouraging delegates to bring refillable bottles and bringing their own notepad or laptop for note taking. Choosing the University of Edinburgh as our venue in 2024 allowed us to partner with an organisation with effective and wide-ranging sustainability policies.
- We have minimised the amount of promotional material, such as pull-up banners, that we take to in-person events, allowing us to avoid using a courier service. Instead, we ask local staff and members to assist with transporting equipment when possible.
We are working with the SHEA Network (Sustainability, Horticulture, Environment and Agriculture) to identify and implement further actions aimed at reducing ITI's carbon footprint - but we also welcome suggestions from members.
Supporting our members
- We publish practical 'green tips' in our monthly e-newsletters and sustainability is featured frequently in the ITI Bulletin.
- Members have access to a range of resources and signposts to external advice and guidance within the MyITI section of the ITI website.
- Our CPD programme regularly includes topics on the theme of sustainability and we are also keen to promote the activites of the SHEA Network, which offers further opportunities for learning as well as encouraging members to engage with climate action.
As part of our ongoing Coffee House series of discussions, we ran a session exploring the ethics surrounding environmental sustainability in translation and interpreting.
Key themes emerging from the group discussions
The discussions highlighted the complexity of attributing responsibility for the environmental impact of neural machine translation (NMT) and large language models (LLMs):
- There was a consensus that responsibility should be shared among various stakeholders, but determining the extent of each party's responsibility is challenging.
- Some participants suggested that those profiting most from these technologies should bear greater responsibility.
- The role of large tech companies in presenting these tools as harmless was criticised.
- Freelancers and translation agencies were seen as being in a difficult position, often pressured to use AI due to client demands.
Participants noted varying levels of awareness about the ecological impact of AI technologies in the translation and interpreting industry:
- There was a general feeling that awareness is improving but not yet widespread.
- The need for increased education was emphasised, not just for professionals but also for translation and interpreting trainees.
- Suggestions were made to engage with mainstream media to raise awareness beyond the industry.
- The importance of educating clients about the environmental costs of AI was highlighted, though some noted the potential challenges in doing so.
Several ideas were proposed for transitioning from awareness to concrete actions:
- Professional associations like ITI were seen as having a crucial role in facilitating this transition.
- Suggestions included providing resources for members, such as fact sheets and templates for action plans.
- The idea of developing a formal charter for freelancers was mentioned.
- Some participants advocated for lobbying governments for AI regulation.
- Creating groups to monitor AI-translated content and lodge complaints was proposed
Discussions touched on various ways the translation and interpreting industry impacts the environment beyond AI use:
- The environmental footprint of home office setups was noted, including energy use and digital footprints.
- International travel for interpreting assignments was identified as a significant factor.
- Participants suggested actions such as digital decluttering, using ethical banks, and switching to sustainable energy providers.
- The role of professional associations in promoting sustainability was emphasised, including leading by example and publicising their own environmental targets.
Recommendations and next steps
- Collate information about the environmental impact of AI technologies in translation and interpreting, to be shared with members and clients.
- Create resources to help members communicate effectively with clients about the environmental costs and benefits of different translation methods.
- Explore partnerships with environmental experts to provide carbon literacy training for members.
- Consider developing an industry-wide charter or set of principles for environmental sustainability in language services.
- Investigate ways to engage with media and participate in broader discussions about AI and environmental sustainability.
- Provide practical advice for members on reducing their individual environmental impact, including office setups and digital practices.
- Collaborate with other professional bodies and stakeholders to advocate for environmentally responsible practices across the industry.
The next steps might involve forming working groups to develop these initiatives, conducting further research into best practices, and consulting with environmental experts to ensure the effectiveness of proposed actions.