Green Teams and Efficiency checklists
One reason that so many businesses put off starting formally committing to a Sustainability Audit and strategy is concern for how their current employees will manage the extra workload. For this reason, some hire in outside help. Many companies use a combination of internal solutions as well to make their beginnings more successful. Two of the most common solutions are to set up a Green Team and using checklists to help monitor and record areas such as energy efficiency.
When companies decide to invest in sustainability and do an Audit, they often set up their Green Team at the same time. It is most common for someone - or a Committee - connected to corporate strategy and policy to be reported to by the Green Team who carry out more practical, day-to-day tasks.
Harvard University has a team of Green Leaders who meet regularly and then report back to and coordinate actions in their own departments while also contributing to institutional events. This page contains their top 10 tips for starting a Green Team. If you go to their website, you will see they have an entire site devoted to Sustainability Marketing. It explains what their goals and strategy are and how this relates to the rest of their business and purpose as a university.
The Harvard Sustainability website includes their key achievements and an archive as well as clearly defining who is responsible for what in their overall plan and strategy at which levels. They use this website to clearly communicate how many people are committed to this in their organisation, of which the Green Team Leaders are only one part.
As they began investing formally in sustainability in 2004, this is an advanced example of where committing to sustainability can lead you. Their commitments and achievements are obviously the result over time of all their key committees and areas have engaged and adapted the goals where and how relevant. It lists what they believe the benefits and added value to their business and customers of this has been.
What the team members do need to have are:
-an ability to complete actions that arise where necessary and meet targets
-motivation to contribute
-an interest in communicating across areas and interests
Resource Scotland is an organisation set up by the government to support business sustainability. They focus most specifically on energy usage, so the checklist they provide as a template for Green Teams focuses on that area. Here is a link to their Resource Efficiency checklist, which covers Energy Efficiency and Waste and Raw Materials.
As you can tell from the excerpted section from their checklist, it enables the Green Team to systematically go through what your business does and clearly identify areas for action.
What is a Green Team?
Depending on your business size and corporate structure, this could be woven into one person’s responsibilities, a voluntary group made of up champions from across departments or even a formal Committee with formal procedures and the ability to write company policy.
Many companies choose a combination of:
-including environmental and social targets in all employee performance reviews
-assigning an internal lead or formal Committee with the power to write policy and strategy
-setting up a volunteer group of “champion” employees who undertake monitoring/recording as well as organising employee engagement events
These voluntary internal groups or committees have a range of names and responsibilities which depend on the company structure and processes, but are often referred to informally as “Green Teams”.
Many companies choose a combination of:
-including environmental and social targets in all employee performance reviews
-assigning an internal lead or formal Committee with the power to write policy and strategy
-setting up a volunteer group of “champion” employees who undertake monitoring/recording as well as organising employee engagement events
These voluntary internal groups or committees have a range of names and responsibilities which depend on the company structure and processes, but are often referred to informally as “Green Teams”.
When companies decide to invest in sustainability and do an Audit, they often set up their Green Team at the same time. It is most common for someone - or a Committee - connected to corporate strategy and policy to be reported to by the Green Team who carry out more practical, day-to-day tasks.
"Overall winner - Paradise in town" by Brisbane City Council is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Harvard University has a team of Green Leaders who meet regularly and then report back to and coordinate actions in their own departments while also contributing to institutional events. This page contains their top 10 tips for starting a Green Team. If you go to their website, you will see they have an entire site devoted to Sustainability Marketing. It explains what their goals and strategy are and how this relates to the rest of their business and purpose as a university.
The Harvard Sustainability website includes their key achievements and an archive as well as clearly defining who is responsible for what in their overall plan and strategy at which levels. They use this website to clearly communicate how many people are committed to this in their organisation, of which the Green Team Leaders are only one part.
As they began investing formally in sustainability in 2004, this is an advanced example of where committing to sustainability can lead you. Their commitments and achievements are obviously the result over time of all their key committees and areas have engaged and adapted the goals where and how relevant. It lists what they believe the benefits and added value to their business and customers of this has been.
Who do you recruit for Green Teams?
Members of your Green Team do not have to be the most environmentally responsible or innovative in your company. In fact, it often helps to have a range of backgrounds, levels and abilities contributing in order to balance its perspective and goals.What the team members do need to have are:
-an ability to complete actions that arise where necessary and meet targets
-motivation to contribute
-an interest in communicating across areas and interests
What do Green Teams do?
Green Teams often undertake physical energy and resource monitoring within the workplace. They may also contribute to Sustainability Audits, marketing, archives and reporting. It depends on the size of the company and whether their role is voluntary or recognised as part of their formal job description. At other organisations, with clearly defined Sustainability strategy and priorities, they may focus solely on exploring or implementing a couple specific corporate targets.Resource Scotland is an organisation set up by the government to support business sustainability. They focus most specifically on energy usage, so the checklist they provide as a template for Green Teams focuses on that area. Here is a link to their Resource Efficiency checklist, which covers Energy Efficiency and Waste and Raw Materials.
As you can tell from the excerpted section from their checklist, it enables the Green Team to systematically go through what your business does and clearly identify areas for action.
