The Impact of Workplace Initiatives on Low Carbon Behaviours

Primary activities:

• Local authority governance and services

Location:

• North East Scotland (Council area covers 2500 sq. miles)

Scale:

• Employs 14,500 staff
• Revenue budget for 2010/11 was £550 million

Transport

Worksmart programme - a flexible working initiative to reduce the number of commuting miles. Staff can choose between:

• Fixed working (at a single base)
• Flexible working (splitting time between a fixed base and home, with the majority of time spent at the base)
• Mobile working (splitting time between a fixed base and remote working, with the majority of time spent working remotely/from home), or
• Home working (with around 90% of the time working from home).

These working patterns are supported by providing staff with technology to aid remote working (e.g. laptops, electronic organisers).

Energy reduction

WorkSPACE programme - an office rationalisation initiative aiming to reduce the number of small offices run by the council to deliver both cost and energy savings.

Over 1,000 staff are now participating in Worksmart.

Based on 722 employees' travel claims for first half of 2011/12, value of reduction in business mileage from previous year was £46,632.

The council has estimated that they have achieved a saving of 136,588 commuting miles and 33,995 CO2 g/km emissions over the period from April to September 2011.

Primary activities:

• Telecommunications infrastructure and services provision

Location:

• Nationwide
• London HQ

Scale:

• 3,000 staff at HQ
• 60,000 overall
• Premises include 7,000 buildings and data exchanges

Energy reduction

Energy Saving Campaign - an initiative focused on staff engagement to reduce energy usage. Incorporated:

• Recruiting 92 Energy Champions to raise awareness and reduce energy usage by reporting energy faults, conducting energy audits of their buildings and networking to share ideas.
• BT Carbon Clubs, through which staff have access to online checklists on how to perform an energy audit in their area as well as general campaign materials such as posters.
• Staff suggestions for initiatives are encouraged through the BT new ideas system.
• Introduction of energy efficient lighting, optimising heating and air conditioning, and reducing energy wasted in unused spaces and from equipment when not in use were also commitments of the campaign.

Transport

Fuel efficient driving initiative - this is aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of BT's Openreach division (which employs 20,000 engineers using BT vehicles to maintain the BT network) through:

• SAFED training in fuel-efficient driving techniques for drivers
• Reducing and avoiding journeys (e.g. by finding ways to solve problems through electronic means)
• Choice of vehicles and awareness of vehicle loads

Achieved energy savings in 2010 worth £18 million

Saved 1,130 tonnes of CO2 in first three months from Energy Saving Campaign at Head Quarters, equating to reduction of 17% of usual energy consumption and a cost saving of £200,000. Similar exercises in the 25 other BT buildings yielded annualised savings of £873,649

In 2010 54% of staff said they had taken personal action to reduce energy consumption

Primary activities:

• Soft drink manufacturing, sales, and distribution

Location:

• Plant located in East Kilbride

Scale:

• 181 staff employed at site

Recycling and waste reduction

Zero Waste to Landfill Policy - encouraging recycling and reducing waste production by:

• Educating and training employees to separate out materials for recycling (including production line waste)
• Engaging staff in discussions about problems and barriers to recycling and developing solutions
• Measures to make it easier for staff to recycle than to dispose of waste through landfill

Energy reduction

Reductions in energy usage have been encouraged through:

• Routinising weekend shut-downs of machinery
• The introduction of energy monitors allowing managers to identify machinery left on

Low carbon infrastructure - motion sensor controlled lighting, LED lighting, and voltage optimisation (reducing incoming voltage to minimise wasted energy in running the production line) have also been introduced.

Transport

Fuel-efficient driving training - HGV and sales team drivers have undertaken SAFED training in fuel efficient driving techniques. Sales staff receive a bonus for fuel efficient driving.

Goods transport - CCE uses rail rather than road vehicles to transport products where possible, and also operates a backhauling system where drivers from other companies pick up orders when passing the site.

Zero waste to landfill target achieved in 2011, reduced from 200 tonnes in 2006

Projected to use 2 million fewer kilowatts of electricity in 2012 compared to 2011

HGV drivers made 4.8% reduction in normal fuel consumption in 2011

Primary activities:

• Office supplies distribution

Location:

• Cheltenham, Gloucester-shire

Scale:

• Employs around 170 staff

Green Angels project - a small team of employees are given time and resources to develop a project of their choice to contribute to one of the organisation's environmental and social commitments e.g. projects to improve progress towards the organisation's 'Zero waste to landfill' commitment. A new Green Angels team is selected every 6 months.

Recycling and waste reduction

Facilities for recycling are prevalent throughout Commercial's premises and there are active efforts to re-use cardboard packaging wherever possible, for example only delivering products in new packaging where this has specifically been requested by the customer.

Energy reduction

Green Ambassadors - prior to the Green Angels project the organisation ran this voluntary scheme aimed at helping staff to reduce their personal energy use (at work and home) through information, advice and monitoring.

Low carbon infrastructure - lighting systems which respond to movement and external light levels have been installed.

Transport

Cycle scheme - Commercial offers employees loans towards bikes and cycling gear. To facilitate this a bike rack was also installed at the site.

Public transport policy - Staff are also encouraged to use public transport, for example when sales staff visit customers. There is a formal requirement for staff to use public transport where this is feasible, but this followed widespread voluntary take-up by staff.

Low carbon infrastructure - a bio-diesel pump has been installed for both commercial and private use.

Carbon emissions reduced from 63.42 kg per million pounds of revenue to 16.02 kg, 2006-2010

On average Green Ambassadors reduced electricity consumption by 16% and gas consumption by 27%.

18% of staff regularly cycle to work (with an estimated 27% reduction in emissions)

Primary activities:

• Leaflet delivery and distribution

Location:

• Loanhead, near Edinburgh

Scale:

• Employs around 47 staff (with seasonal variations)

Energy reduction

Energy use has been tackled by:

• Enforcing norms of switching off lighting and heating equipment when it is not needed - largely done on a mutual peer-to-peer basis.
• Investment in a wind turbine, dubbed '"Windy Boy" by staff, to reduce the energy the organisation draws from the grid. Its impact on the organisation's energy bills is regularly reported to staff.

Recycling and waste reduction

Recycling measures include:

• Provision of recycling bins for work related waste, general waste (drinks bottles etc.) and compostable material.
• Encouraging staff to bring material for recycling in from home. For example, battery recycling facilities were provided before the legal requirement to provide such facilities was placed on battery retailers.
• Changing the distribution of recycling and waste bins to make sure recycling is the easiest option.

Transport

To reduce carbon emissions from its fleet EAE has:

Provided fuel efficient driver training to all drivers. The performance of drivers can be monitored electronically from the office.

The firm has also invested in low carbon vehicles including an electric van and bio-diesel vehicles.

Cycle scheme - EAE also offers £50 towards cycling equipment and has shower facilities onsite for cyclists' use. However, this has been among the least successful of EAE's schemes due to perceptions of dangerous cycling conditions between Edinburgh and Loanhead.

70% reduction in carbon footprint.

Increased recycling and use of cardboard/plastics baler decreased general waste costs from £6,128 to £644 per annum. Revenue gained for baled cardboard and plastic is £15/tonne and £20/tonne respectively.

Gas and electricity savings of almost £4,000 in one year from improved efficiency in lighting, heating, 'switch off' policy, and installing wind turbine

Primary activities:

• Multinational engineering firm

Location:

• Glasgow

Scale:

• Employs around 6,000 staff across 98 offices worldwide
• Around 350 staff employed at Glasgow site

The majority of low carbon initiatives at Halcrow's Glasgow office were adopted after moving to their current premises 5 years ago.

Transport

Combined parking and public transport promotion scheme - Staff driving their car to work are charged £5 a week and car parking spaces are allocated according to a range of criteria with those who car share or travel longer distances given higher priority. The money generated from this policy is then used to subsidise bus travel for other employees. In addition staff are provided with information on public transport options.

Cycle scheme - loans are offered for the purchase of bikes, and facilities such as bike racks, showers and lockers have been provided. The company also pays for employees' bikes to be serviced on an annual basis.

Business travel policy - Employees are required to consider whether travel is strictly necessary and, in particular, the need for air travel. All business travel must be signed off by a manager. Halcrow provide a number of facilities to provide alternatives to travelling. Two video conferencing suites are available in the Glasgow office and at a wider corporate level the firm is developing IT facilities and systems to allow employees located across Halcrow's global locations to work as 'virtual teams'. Finally, for travel within Glasgow, the company provides bikes that can be borrowed as an alternative to taking a taxi.

Energy reduction

Energy reduction measures include:

• Encouraging staff to switch off their monitors when not in use and this is monitored by the office manager. To make switching off equipment easier the company has installed 'powerbar' sockets on each desk which are easier to reach than those on the floor.
• Low carbon infrastructure - Motion sensor operated lights have been introduced.

Recycling and waste reduction

Measures include:

• A large number of general recycling bins have been introduced.
• Individual waste bins have been removed from desks.
• A "treehugger" (a small box bin for scraps of recyclable material) is placed at each desk.

Estimated annual reductions in CO2 (2010 compared to 2009) - business travel emissions reduced by 40 tonnes of CO2 and commuting emissions by 63 tonnes of CO2.

Between 2007-2010 there was a 200% increase in video conferencing use (estimated saving of 127 tonnes CO2)

In 2009 12,300 subsidised bus journeys made (with estimated saving of 6.4 tonnes CO2)

20 staff regularly cycle to work.

Primary activities:

• Hospitality - 4 star hotel

Location:

• Edinburgh's West End

Scale:

• Hilton Worldwide employs over 130,000 staff in over 4,000 hotels worldwide
• 135 at Hilton Edinburgh Grosvenor

At a corporate level the Sustainability team promotes environmental awareness training and provides advice to individual hotels. Within the hotel there is a Green team consisting of the heads of the three main departments (kitchen, housekeeping and maintenance) and the manager's personal assistant. This team organises and implements green initiatives within the hotel and is captained by the Executive Head Chef. Front line staff have recently been included in the green team to help expand the scale of their initiatives.

Energy reduction

'LightStay' tool - Information on the carbon output, energy and water use of each hotel is collected at a corporate level via this monitoring system.

Kitchen initiatives - Energy measures include encouraging staff to use pot lids and turn off gas rings and grills when not in use, to save energy. Frequent reminders from the Head Chef, and staff reminding each other, has meant this has become the norm.

House-keeping initiatives - The procedure for cleaning rooms has been adapted so that housekeepers now do an initial sweep of empty rooms to switch off any electrical appliances left on by guests.

Low carbon infrastructure - The hotel has also invested in low carbon fixtures such as lower voltage lighting and motion sensors attached to lights in meeting rooms.

Recycling and waste reduction

Kitchen-based initiatives include:

• Introduction of food waste recycling, using a service provided by an external company.
• Investment in a cardboard baler to improve the speed and ease of cardboard recycling.
• Encouraging re-use of leftovers and scraps from food preparation.

House-keeping initiatives - There have been efforts to integrate recycling into the process of cleaning rooms by getting housekeepers to separate out waste and recyclable materials. However the layout of the hotel makes it difficult to store separated waste while rooms are being cleaned.

Food

Low carbon menu - A menu has been developed using locally sourced food. This required securing an exemption from corporate set menus which require hotels to use set providers, often some distance from the hotel.

Food waste initiatives - The hotel has taken measures to reduce food waste, detailed above.

22.4% reduction in energy use

13% decrease in carbon output

40% of waste is now recycled

Primary activities:

• Flooring manufacturing, sales and distribution

Location:

• Manufacturing facilities in Shelf (Halifax, West Yorkshire) and Craigavon (Northern Ireland).
• Showroom in London

Scale:

• 400 employees in UK, of which 204 work at the Shelf factory

Waste, Energy & Transport

QUEST programme - Staff suggestion and bonus scheme to identify suggestions for changes to factory work practices that reduce energy usage and waste. A bonus of £800 is available for those achieving 10% savings.

EcoSense - Programme aimed at encouraging staff to take part in low-carbon projects. Points are awarded to factories on the basis of successful projects. Projects have included car pooling schemes and the purchase of fuel efficient lorries.

Sustainability training - Three stage training programme aimed at encouraging low carbon behaviour. First stage is compulsory for all staff, second and third stages voluntary. The third stage is run by an external organisation. Completion of all three stages gives the participant the status of green ambassador.

Green Energy Team - Initiative at Shelf factory, a voluntary team with 12 regular members. Aims to keep staff informed about what is taking place at the factory and to help gather suggestions for new low carbon initiatives

80% reduction in manufacturing waste sent to landfill per unit of production since 1996, saving $433 million in cumulative avoided waste costs.

In workplace visited, using more efficient air conditioning and reducing temperature from 22C to 18C estimated to cut energy consumption by around 48%.

Reducing voltage for lighting systems cut energy use by 20-30%.

Primary activities:

• Energy generation and supply

Location:

• UK-wide
• Headquarters in Perth

Scale:

• Employs 20,250 staff
• FTSE 100 company
• £11.9 bn market capitalisation

Transport

Restricted car parking - Car parking spaces have been reduced and permits have been introduced which only allow staff to park onsite for four days per week.

Promoting car sharing - Car sharers are allowed to use the car park every day and have access to preferential spaces. Car sharing is also encouraged via links to a website that allows staff to find other people who are looking for lift shares.

Dedicated bus service - Public transport use is encouraged at one site through a dedicated bus service funded by SSE and another large company based in the area.

'Big Green Commuter Challenge' - Each year the company runs this week-long event where staff are encouraged to use alternative means of travel for the week. Participants can receive individual prizes such as iPods.

Business travel policy - restrictions are placed on business travel, specifically:

• Staff are required to take at least one rail journey for each 4 flights they take
• Two months of the year (August and December) are designated no-fly months. The company has been trialling an annual 12-week no-fly period.
• SSE has introduced their Telepresence videoconferencing system as an alterative to travelling for business.

Low carbon vehicles - SSE has invested in low carbon vehicles for both its commercial fleet and company cars.

Energy reduction

Reductions in energy consumption have been encouraged through:

• Financial incentives - prizes based on energy savings for retail shops
• Monitoring and information - Energy data and league tables comparing consumption across different sites are provided to staff.
• Training - Staff with responsibility for the energy consumption of buildings (such as facilities managers) are given training on how to achieve energy reduction and its practical implications.
• Low carbon infrastructure - SSE has also made considerable investments in infrastructure aimed at reducing energy usage.

Avoided 847,500 miles of business travel in 2010.

Liftsharers have undertaken 3,455,313 miles of travel since 2009.

Big Green Commuter Challenge saved 96,281 miles of travel since 2010.

CO2 emissions from energy consumption have decreased by 3% in 2010/11.

£12, 000 of energy savings allocated to charity.

Since Jan 2009 company has saved £918,908 in costs of parking provision.

Primary activities:

• Office supplies distribution

Location:

• West London

Scale:

• Employs around 50 staff

Wiles Greenworld puts particular emphasis on environmental education through staff training and induction. New staff receive a half day induction from the Chief Sustainability Officer during which they watch films including 'An Inconvenient Truth' and 'Crude'. Additionally monthly departmental meetings feature a "green slot" in which films are shown with a message about environmental sustainability. It also runs an internship programme which has been a key source of new ideas for green initiatives.

Recycling and waste reduction

Measures to reduce waste include:

• Practical uses of "nudge economics", such as putting lids on waste bins but not on recycling bins which makes recycling easier
• Removing waste bins at desks
• Choosing recyclable or reusable materials where possible
• Providing recycling services to their customers

Transport

Fuel efficient driver training and incentives - Company drivers are provided with training in fuel efficient driving and also offers a bonus of around £50 twice a year to fuel efficient drivers.

Home working is encouraged. The entire sales team works from home, only attending the office for monthly staff meetings. Home working has been facilitated by cloud computing, which saves energy on conventional hardware IT systems.

32% decrease in carbon footprint since 2008.

Delivers 52% more services per tonne of carbon than in 2008.