Environmental Responsibility

Whose responsibility is it to use less energy and produce less waste at work?

It is everyone's personal responsibility to reduce energy at work. In other words, it's not just the boss' responsibility. It's a collective responsibility, through all departments and all sections of the organisation. So it comes right down to the individual employee to take responsibility for energy and waste.

What can employers do to reduce the amount of waste produced in their office?

Employers, in order to reduce the amount of waste in their offices, need to lead by example. It's not just important coming up with a new green office policy, but it's also about how that's implemented in practice. For example, is the boss actually reducing the amount of paper that they are using? Are they using more electronic communications, are they actually turning the thermostat down a fraction in their room in their office and showing staff that its not necessary to overheat offices?

What can individuals do to reduce the amount of energy they use in their office?

Employees, in order to reduce the amount of energy used in their offices, can switch off lights, they can regulate thermostats on radiators, they can reduce the amount of use of the printer and photocopier. All the things that you would choose to do perhaps at home in order to save energy, you can also do in the workplace.

What can employees do to reduce the amount of waste they produce in the office?

Employees, in order to reduce the amount of waste in the office can switch off monitors, they can use electronic communications, they can save water in the bathroom, washrooms, by making sure the taps are switched off. All the types of activities you would normally do at home to save waste you can also do in the office.

Can individuals in the office be assigned green responsibilities?

Individuals in the office can be assigned green responsibilities. It's quite useful to have some environmental champions in the workplace, whether they are the boss themselves or whether they are individuals who volunteer to act in that capacity. The boss is the first champion that there needs to be, so that everyone in the organization recognises the significance and the importance of being more environmentally responsible, but it's also useful that people in their day-to-day operations are engaged in the process, and they're actively making changes and reviewing processes to see that they are operating effectively.

What is the best strategy to encourage people to be more green in the office?

The best strategy for encouraging people to be more 'green' in the workplace is to form a team of individuals--a 'green team'. They can take responsibility for communications in the workplace, so that everyone is engaged in the process: there can be fun things to put on notice boards, there can be electronic bulletins, there can be posters, there can be note clips; there can be fun ways the team can come up with, in order to communicate the message.