Workers accused of leaving green habits at the door

News Article - 01 December 2009
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The Government has urged UK businesses to develop efforts to promote environmentally-sustainable behaviour amongst their workforces after a survey revealed many staff members are taking inadequate steps to reduce their carbon footprint. The survey suggests that whilst staff members have adopted environmentally-sustainable measures at home – such as making use of council recycling facilities – they do not show the same willingness at work. A fifth of respondents admitted to placing recyclable items in bins and printing out emails unnecessarily.

The survey is part of the Government’s new ‘Saving money – it’s your business campaign’, launched to educate companies about the benefits of resource efficiency and provide advice and guidance on how to promote good practice. Much of the campaign is focused on financial data to show businesses that going green can cut costs and increase profitability. It is estimated basic resource efficiency – such as only printing emails when necessary – could save UK businesses over £6.4bn a year.

The Government is also pushing the corporate benefits of promoting resource efficiency and cutting carbon output, in particular improved customer relations that can result following a successful green marketing campaign. Government figures suggest a third of consumers favour recyclable products and reduced packaging, and a study by The Boston Consulting Group reveals consumers are not turned off by higher prices if they receive a superior, environmentally-friendly product.

Businesses that show a commitment to resource efficiency may also make themselves more attractive to potential investors. In times of recession, stakeholders are more likely to invest in companies that maximise profit at minimal cost. Simple resource efficiency, such as ensuring all monitors are turned off overnight, offers a very positive return on investment. And as the green economy gains momentum, businesses that remain committed to reducing their carbon emissions will look increasingly attractive to customers.

There are very obvious strategic benefits in promoting environmentally-sustainable behaviour to the workforce. The main stumbling block is the logistics of implementing such a campaign. Without usable data that illustrates the most carbon-intensive areas of operation – and therefore where the maximum costs can be saved - it is easy to feel uncertain about allocating company resources to such activity. The lack of metrics to illustrate if the strategy is working can also put companies off.

Implementing a carbon reporting solution is the most important step your business can take if it wants to promote resource efficiency to staff members. Carbon-reporting software from Access combines company-wide functionality with a host of features to improve the ability and scope of your carbon-reduction efforts. The software shows detailed data on where most carbon-intensive activities lie, and can be analysed on a departmental, individual or emission-type basis, allowing resources to be focused efficiently. This provides a powerful tool to help implement a carbon-reduction programme based around improving resource efficiency, cutting costs and promoting business responsibility.

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