AffordabilityCreating a green team requires an investment of time, for the employees involved to be able to meet, assess, and implement sustainability measures. However, efficiency measures are unlikely to deliver their full potential without a corresponding shift in employee behaviour. An investment in a green team is a sound approach to maximizing any conservation effort your company undertakes. Cost savingsThrough waste reduction, energy efficiency and other green initiatives, your green committee will help your business reduce costs. Savings can be substantial in areas such as waste reduction, energy efficient lighting, and efficient heating and cooling strategies. Environmental considerationsReducing the material, energy, water, and carbon footprint of your company makes sense as costs for scarce resources rise. It’s also good business, as employees and customers increasingly expect business leadership in these areas. Engaging employees in a green team helps promote a shared ethic of conservation – improving your own practices and savings opportunities – and causing a ripple effect of positive environmental change as well.
What you need to know
- Get support of senior management for your green committee. Invite a senior management representative to sit on the committee.
- Submit a proposal to management showing how investing staff time in the program will pay off in reduced costs down the road. Greening your business will contribute to employee morale and a healthier work environment, as well as reduced waste management costs.
- Most companies have already taken some steps towards good environmental, social, and community performance. Assess the sustainability activities already underway at your company. These might include: recycling program, community granting program, buying or selling some organic or environmentally friendly products, participating in community environment events, raising money for charities, employee volunteerism, etc. Consider these as part of a larger sustainability strategy and how they connect to your company’s core mission and economic goals.
- Using the Green Your Business guides, determine one or two key areas that the green team can focus on as its initial priorities. These might be: purchasing; lighting; waste reduction; energy; transportation. They should be areas where it appears there are opportunities for efficiencies and where it seems possible to engage other staff members.
- Communications are important – one of the primary roles of the green team is to help create regular communications to all employees around sustainability initiatives. Develop a name and logo for your office greening program. Use these to identify communications and promote the program. Ensure communications are two-way – allow for feedback mechanisms and solicit ideas.
- Modeling behaviour is important too. People tend to respond to social norms – the way they see others behave and feel is expected of them. Ensure your senior company leadership is on board with changes and behaviours that support the green team’s efforts – and are seen to be taking part.
- Read more about Making an Impact with Green Teams and Effective Practices in Developing, Managing, and Evaluating Green Teams.
- It is best if green committee activity is recognized as part of each team member’s regular workload, rather than on a voluntary basis. In either case, make a point of recognizing those involved.
Taking it furtherEducate and encourage colleagues to adopt green office practices: - Develop a noticeboard for your green office program where you can post helpful hints, new policies and progress reports. Chart your progress, making sure to emphasize your successes, such as the number of trees spared or the amount of energy and water savings.
- If your office creates a regular newsletter, be sure to include regular notes and articles about your green program. If it is a printed newsletter, encourage those producing it to use 100% post-consumer recycled paper or to shift to an e-newsletter.
- Make a "green orientation" tour a regular part of staff training for new employees so they're familiar with the environmental policies and practices your office endorses.
- Conduct regular information sessions for employees about improving their environmental impact. Sessions might include: training IT managers how to purchase energy-efficient equipment; educating administrative support staff on paper-conserving practices; alerting custodial staff about the hazards of various cleaning supplies; guidance for all staff on proper recycling procedures.
- Bring in outside experts for lunchtime learning sessions or specific workshops or training.
- Provide a way for staff to give feedback and suggestions to your green team. This could consist of a basic suggestion box in a common room or a green hotline, available either through email or the telephone. It should be monitored regularly and all ideas should be discussed in regular meetings.
- Read more about making positive sustainability change within organizations: The Sustainability Champions Guidebook.
- Read more about Fostering Sustainable Behaviour.
- More links related to greening all aspects of your work and home life at the GreenYour! website.
- If you are located in Greater Vancouver, contact Metro Vancouver by email or at 604 451 6575 for a no-cost walk-through waste assessment.
- Encourage your employees to join Team Power Smart and continue their energy saving efforts at home.
FAQ
How can I get staff interested in environmental impacts and participating on the green committee?
Green initiatives in the workplace are often embraced by environmental leaders within the organization. Identify who those environmental leaders are and invite them to participate. Talk to people about the importance and rewards of implementing more environmentally friendly business practices. Once sustainability leaders have been identified, it is important that they are empowered to act. Make sure to recognize their efforts. If you still cannot find someone to be a leader, do it yourself. Others will follow.
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