TOP TEN TIPS
VERSION ONE TOP TEN
TIPS FOR REDUCING CO2
EMISSIONS
T
here’s more pressure than ever INVOLVE STAFF – The buy-in of all
for businesses to reduce their staff needs to be obtained from the
carbon footprint. Whether outset if measures to reduce carbon
climate change is at the top of emissions are to be successful. Advise all
organisations’ agendas or not, staff of the company’s ‘green’ plans and
measures to reduce CO
2
request help and suggestions. Ensure
emissions can significantly cut costs and staff continue to be involved with the
improve staff, partner and customer company’s environmental direction by
relations, making business as well as establishing a ‘green committee’ and/or
environmental sense. a ‘green ideas box’ which allows staff to
Catherine Murphy, Marketing put forward their own suggestions for
Manager of document management and reducing emissions.
“Ensure office waste is recycled or
imaging company, Version One – a
re-used and cut-down on paper use”
‘green’ company since the launch of its RECYCLE AND RE-USE – Whenever projects such as wind farms and providing
Carbon Neutral Initiative in October 2006 possible, ensure office waste is recycled or funds for low carbon technologies in the
– provides the following tips to businesses re-used, including paper, IT equipment, developing world, are some of the
looking to reduce their CO
2
emissions. office furniture, textiles etc. offsetting projects available.
These top ten tips, which have been
compiled based-upon Version One’s own CUT-DOWN ON PAPER USE – As well EVALUATE PROGRESS – After 12
experiences, are measures that all types of as recycling paper, you should implement months, it’s important to evaluate what
company can implement. measures and technologies to cut-down impact the various measures have had.
on paper use. Encourage staff to refrain Have carbon emissions been reduced?
GIVE YOUR COMPANY A CO
2
HEALTH from printing-out emails and invest in Have staff bought-into the new measures?
CHECK – It’s important to determine document management technology. This Have the measures cut costs? Once the
approximately how much CO
2
your technology dramatically cuts-down on results have been evaluated, plan the
company emits and in which areas of the paper use as well as the printing and company’s environmental policy for the
business CO
2
emissions are the highest. photocopying of paper. With a typical next 12 months, setting-out organisation-
Some businesses bring in a third party to return-on-investment of just six months, wide targets.
assess this, however, this isn’t essential. document management also makes smart
Commonsense combined with a decent business sense. Within the past year, ‘climate change’
business-specific carbon calculator are and ‘carbon footprints’ have been so
usually sufficient for CO
2
health checks in ENFORCE GOOD HOUSEKEEPING – widely discussed that businesses are in
office-based organisations. Ensure staff turn off all electrical danger of becoming complacent to the
equipment when they leave the office, part they should be playing in reducing
APPOINT A GREEN EXECUTIVE – If this including PCs, phone chargers, carbon emissions. With organisations
isn’t already in place, a member of staff photocopiers and lights. trying to profit from the climate change
needs to be given overall responsibility for frenzy by offering CO
2
consultations and
the company’s environmental policy. REDUCE OUT-OF-OFFICE MEETINGS all manner of CO
2
reducing solutions,
Smaller organisations may decide to – Where possible, cut-down on car travel businesses could also be led to believe
provide an existing member of staff with by encouraging phone, video and web that implementing measures to reduce
this responsibility, in which case they need conferences as opposed to out-of-office CO
2
levels is both costly and very time-
to have the time and the desire to take on meetings. consuming.
the role. In actual fact, all types of organisation
“Encourage phone, video and web conferences to cut-down on car travel” PROMOTE PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND can take steps to reduce their emissions
CAR SHARING – When staff do have to from ensuring staff turn-off their PCs to
travel, encourage the use of public encouraging web, video and phone
transport. A car-sharing pool also conferences. ‘Going green’ needn’t cost a
reduces the number of car journeys to fortune and in actual fact,
and from the office. environmentally-friendly measures can
save businesses money whilst improving
LOOK INTO OFFSETTING SCHEMES staff morale.
– As well as reducing CO
2
emissions, For further information about Version
look into carbon offsetting schemes, One’s green policy, contact Version One’s
which often have a range of economic Green Executive on +44(0)1625 856505
and social as well as ecological benefits. or email green@versionone.co.uk
Tree planting, investing in ‘green energy’
28|
SUSTAINABLE FM | OCTOBER 2007
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