Our 'Responsible Use of AI' policy

AI tools are everywhere - generating content, helping with data, powering chatbots. Like many small businesses, we've started using them. But as a sustainability consultancy, we've found it difficult to do so in a way that aligns with our values.

That's why we've developed and published a Responsible Use of AI policy - a set of principles and practices to guide how we adopt AI tools in our business.

Why we need a policy

AI can help us do more with less. For a small team supporting SMEs across the UK, it offers real benefits - from streamlining admin and processing data to providing quicker client support.

But we're also concerned about its downsides. High energy use. Hidden environmental costs. Privacy risks. And the ethical implications of replacing people with machines.

For a business like ours, which exists to reduce environmental harm and promote sustainability, these risks matter. A lot.

So we've chosen a cautious, principled approach.

What our Responsible Use of AI policy covers

Our policy applies to all current and future use of AI in Green Business - including support agents on our website and platform, content generation, and internal data processing.

Here are the key principles we've committed to:

• Mission alignment: AI will only be used where it directly supports our environmental and social goals.
• Transparency: We'll always let people know when they're interacting with AI - such as via our support agents.
• Human oversight: No AI tool will replace human judgment. All outputs are reviewed by staff before use.
• Data protection: We don't input client-sensitive or identifiable data into AI tools.
• Environmental impact awareness: We actively seek low-impact tools and avoid unnecessary processing.
• Employment ethics: AI will enhance, not replace, our team. We're investing in upskilling, not redundancy.

We've also developed an AI Use Assessment Checklist to evaluate every new potential application of AI in the business - asking tough questions about reliability, data security, energy use, and client trust.

Putting principles into practice

We've already made decisions based on this policy. Some tools we've adopted - like our AI support agents - are trained only on internal documents, with no internet access and no chat memory. This protects privacy and cuts environmental load.

Other tools, like automated purchase ledger classification, looked promising - but didn't meet our standards for reliability or accuracy. We've so far held back from using them.

In every case, we weigh the benefits carefully against the risks. That takes time and effort - but it's worth it to stay aligned with our mission.

Why it matters

There's no roadmap for responsible AI use in small businesses. But that doesn't mean we should ignore the issues.

Our Responsible Use of AI policy helps us to navigate this complex space with integrity - embracing the benefits of AI where we can, without losing sight of our values.

We hope it sets a useful precedent for others trying to do the same.