Understand The Issues

Whether you realize it or not, the choices we make while at work have a significant impact on things like Global Warming, air quality and water pollution.

For example...

-Offices account for 19% of all commercial engergy consumption, at a cost of almost 18 billion dollars annually.

-More than 1/4 of greenhouse gas emissions come from office-related travel and office employees commuting to and from their jobs.

-47% of passengers on US domestic flights are travelling for business.

-Offices use about 10,000 sheets of paper per person per year.

I recommend: World Resource Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency's web sites are good places to learn more about these issues.  

Assess The Business Case

There are a number of reasons why reducing your office's impact on the environment makes good business sense. Here are just a few...

1. Considerable savings can be had through conserving energy, waste reduction and water conservation.

2. Making your office greener can actually improve employee retention and morale by creating a more positive work environment. Studies have shown that employees who work in "green" offices are more productive.

3. Companies that do their share to protect the environment and that are more socially responsible are better thought of by customers and partners.

I recommend: Get a better gauge of how much green your company could potentially save by going green.  The Conservation Value web site offers a number of savings calculators.

Measure Current Performance

Understand how much energy and other resources your company uses and how it's used so that you know where the biggest areas for improvement lie. It's also necessary to establish a baseline so that you are able to later track your office's success.

I recommend: The Energy Star web site provides a tool called Portfolio Manager that allows businesses to gather and track data on their energy usage.

Set Goals

It's important that your office create specific goals to drive resource management activities. In order to be effective, these goals need to be approved by Senior Management and become part of the company's underlying mission.

I recommend: See what goals leading companies like Johnson and Johnson and Sony are setting for themselves at The World Wildlife Fund website.

Create Your Action Plan

Once your company has its goals down on paper, it's time to create your action plan. Start with those items that will make the greatest impact and yield the most cost savings. Clearly define who will be responsible for what and establish timelines. Get the whole company involved by holding contests to see who can come up with the best ideas for managing energy.

I recommend: The Earth 911 website offers resources for setting up an office recycling program, creating a waste reduction program and green purchasing.

Implement Your Plan

It's going to be up to your fellow coworkers whether or not your plan is successful, so be sure to communicate your plan to everyone involved and build support by raising awareness for the key issues. Let your coworkers know what's in it for them if they follow the plan and continue to motivate them by offering incentives or prizes.

I recommend: The Energy Star website offers a communications kit to help you communicate your plan to the rest of your office.

Review Progress And Share Your Findings

You should review your progress and report your findings to the rest of your office on a regular basis. Solicit feedback, find out if there are any areas for improvement, and fix any problems. Reward employees who make the biggest contribution to the program. Re-evaluate your plan on a semi-annual or annual basis.

I recommend: The World Resource Institue provides tools necessary to track and report on your carbon emissions.