TEN WAYSFOR BUSINESSESTO ADDRESSCLIMATE CHANGE 03

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www.arenani.org.uk

Produced with support from:

BT Foreword

Climate change is an issue which affects eachand every one of us. At BT we are committed tofinding new ways to help minimise ourenvironmental impacts as well as providing ourcustomers with solutions which are less harmful to the planet.

We believe that ICT can help to promote sustainability and go someway towards protecting the environment.

Our vision is to “harness communications to tackle climate change” with our strategyfocused on maintaining momentum in:• Reducing our own footprint• Influencing our customers and our suppliers• Engaging our employees• Executing a pan-BT integrated communications plan

Environmental performance is also becoming increasingly important to our customers,with evidence of our social and environmental performance continually required forcontract bids for new business.

Products and services such as broadband, teleconferencing and video conferencing canhelp BT and our customers to address climate change by enabling remote working. Thisreduces travel time and energy use and allows more people to enjoy the benefits of flexiblework schedules.

I would encourage all companies to lead by example, using sustainable resources wherepossible and reducing negative impacts on the environment, otherwise our futurelandscapes will be very different from those we know now.

For more information on BT’s social and environment activities visitwww.bt.com/betterworld

Alastair HamiltonManaging DirectorBT Northern Ireland

BT rated world No.1 telecommunications company in the Dow Jones Global Sustainability Index forsix years running.

CO2 Emissions 60% Lower than 1996 level

Why is climate change an issuefor business?Climate change is the great challenge facing modern society and we all, asindividuals, employees, employers or leaders in society, have our part to play.The good news is that the steps needed to positively address climate changewill ultimately benefit the planet, our businesses, our society and ourselves.

More than half a million pounds worth of savings were identified bycompanies working with Business in the Community’s ARENA Networkcampaign last year as a result of good environmental management andcontrols.

Many of the solutions identified stem from very simple and common senseactions which, when scaled up, can provide a powerful level of change.

Sustainability is undoubtedly good for businesses as well as for the localcommunities they serve. Combining even just a few energy saving measures inthe workplace can help save your business thousands of pounds per year, aswell as giving you a competitive edge if you choose to communicate yourcommitment to stakeholders.

The first step is to assign responsibility for the issue. Treat it like any otheraspect of running a business and you will generate returns in much the sameway, so:

• Assign responsibility• Audit the current situation• Create an action plan• Monitor progress on targets

Before taking that step though, use this booklet to see how simple thechanges can be and how adopting some or all of the following ten actions inthe workplace can help conserve energy, saving you money and contributingto the slowdown of climate change at the same time.

In essence – small changes x lots of people = BIG CHANGE.

If this booklet has inspired you, share it with colleagues, employees and evenat home with your family. Together, we can make a difference. Take action today!

If you would like help, support, or further advice, callBusiness in the Community on (028) 9046 0600 and askfor the ARENA Network team.

Action 1 Cut waste

Action 2 Turn it down

Action 3 Save on lighting

Action 4 Switch it off

Action 5 Leave it at home

Action 6 Use renewable energy

Action 7 Plant a tree

Action 8 Make it happen

Action 9 Challenge suppliers

Action 10 Celebrate and report

Action 1Cut waste

Waste is a key contributor to global warming. Landfillsites represent squandered materials and significantfinancial waste, not only in terms of the cost of theenergy and resources used to produce them and thecost of disposal, but also the landfill tax levied onbusinesses. Collecting and processing waste producesCO2 emissions and also methane gas, which is releasedfrom landfill when biodegradable waste breaks downand which is over 20 times as powerful a greenhousegas as CO2. By removing or segregating biodegradablewaste from the landfill stream we can reduce methaneproduction and its impact on climate change. Paper andcardboard can be recycled, waste food and vegetablematter can be composted. Techniques such as in-vesselcomposting, vermi-composting and anaerobic digestioncan be used on a large scale to convert difficultbiodegradable wastes to useful resources, such asrenewable energy.

Action 2Turn it down

Working environments need to becomfortable, neither too hot, nortoo cold. Most office environmentsare over heated.

• Turn the thermostat down byone notch. If the windows areopen the heating is too high

• Install programmablethermostats or time clocks

• Service boilers regularly• Install insulation• Consider Combined Heat and

Power solutions. CausewayHospitals Trust recentlyinvested in Combined Heat andPower units attached to a newgas heating system, withpredicted savings of thousandsof pounds per year

• When purchasing new capitalequipment make sure it isenergy efficient. A list ismaintained atwww.eca.gov.uk/etl

Action 3Save on lighting

Good, suitable lighting is essential to acomfortable and safe workingenvironment; however with officebuildings accounting for 19% of allcommercial energy consumption, it isalso a potential source of major savings.

• Maximise natural light where possible• Assess light provided with light

actually required and adjustaccordingly

• Switch off all lights when not in use• Install occupational sensors• Fit energy-saving light bulbs. These

last up to twelve times longer thanordinary bulbs. One energy-savingbulb can save a considerable amountof money in its lifetimeCost = £4.99Saving = £65.00Profit = £60.01p

Action 4Switch it off

On average, employees waste £6,000 eachyear just because they don’t switch offcomputers and equipment which is not inuse. Don’t just log-off a PC at the end ofthe day, shut it down! Switch off printersand copiers when not in use and removemobile phone chargers from sockets aftercharging, as they constantly draw power.Equipment left on standby mode continuesto use power – switch it off!

On a more specific note, if your businessuses refrigeration or compressed air, checkyour systems regularly to ensure they arerunning efficiently. Good management canbring huge savings.

The Henderson Group saved 17% on itsenergy costs through good management.Key steps included: 1) Auditing existingpractices and equipment, 2) Purchasingappropriate equipment and 3) Managingthe equipment to get optimal performance.

Action 5Leave it at home

Half of all car journeys are lessthan two miles, but most catalyticconverters work only after threemiles of travel. Try walking shortdistances, or using publictransport where possible. In theoffice, try new technology (likevideo-conferencing) to cut downon unnecessary corporate travel.

Additionally:• Service vehicles regularly• Train employees in good

driving technique for betterefficiency

• Implement car sharingschemes

• Promote public transportsolutions

• Purchase CO2 efficient cars

Action 6Use renewable energy

With sources of renewable energyincreasingly available, cost-effectiveand efficient, consider:• Purchasing green power form

your energy supplier• Sourcing alternative providers• Installing some renewable

technologies at your premises

There are five main renewablesources – hydropower (water), solar,wind, geothermal, and biomass – onemay be the right one for yourbusiness and could save you money.

Action 7Plant a tree

While planting a tree is notthe complete answer toaddressing carbonemissions and globalclimate change, it has a roleto play.

If you need help to calculateyour carbon emissions, visitwww.climatecare.org anduse the business CO2

calculator there. Onceyou’ve worked out howmuch carbon your businessemits, you can purchaseoffsets in the form of newtrees planted, from anumber of organisations.

There are a number of suchschemes currently availableand the Carbon Trust andClimate Care are both goodstarting points forinformation.

Locally, ARENA Networkplans to launch a carbonneutralising scheme forbusinesses in 2007, so lookout for details.

I'M AN ENERGY

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Action 8Make it happen

To be effective, conserving energy must beembedded in the company culture. To achieve this,training and reinforcement of messages to staff atevery opportunity is essential.

Posters and stickers on energy saving measures areavailable from the Carbon Trust to display in youroffice and keep the issues in employees’ minds.

Why not develop your own fun, in-house scheme toencourage suggestions and celebrate achievements.

Action 9Challenge suppliers

If you’re committed to doing it,you’ll want your suppliers tocommit too. That way, you canbe sure your product has beenproduced in the most energyefficient, sustainable waypossible, at each stage alongthe supply chain.

Organisations which work withtheir supply chains to reduceenergy use and carbonemissions can realise majorsavings in terms of energyconsumption and carbonemissions as well as reducingcosts.

Tell your suppliers what you’redoing to reduce energy useand carbon emissions,encourage them to examinetheir own processes and followyour example in adopting bestpractice – that way you can allsave and everyone’s a winner!

Action 10Celebrate and report

You will make savings by implementing each of theseactions – some will take longer to realise than others, so bepatient.

To encourage further action internally and inspire othersexternally, it is important to celebrate achievements andpublicly report on progress.

If you are saving energy, saving money and helping to savethe planet, take the credit for doing so and tell others sothat they can follow your example.

Start today.

Useful links and furtherinformationClimate Change infowww.ipcc.ch www.climatecrisis.net (website for An Inconvenient Truth)

Wastewww.wasteonline.org.uk www.wastewatch.org.uk www.investni.com/niwasteworkswww.ehsni.gov.uk/waste www.wakeuptowaste.org www.raceagainstwaste.com

Regional waste groupswww.swampni.org.ukwww.arc21.org.uk www.northwestwasteplan.org.uk

Heating, lighting and equipmentwww.thecarbontrust.co.uk www.greenenergy.uk.com www.est.org.ukwww.energystar.govwww.greenbiz.com

Transportwww.travelwisenicarshare.com www.eta.co.uk

Renewable energywww.actionrenewables.org www.airtricity.com

Carbon offsettingwww.thecarbontrust.co.ukwww.climatecare.org

Otherwww.netregs.gov.ukwww.brysongroup.orgwww.sd-commission.org.uk

Registered Details137 Shepherdess Walk, London N1 7RQ. Telephone: 0870 600 2482 Registered Charity No: 297716. Company Limited by Guarantee No: 1619253

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Business in the Community is a unique movement in theUK and Ireland of over 750 member companies (230 ofthese in Northern Ireland), with a further 2,000 plusengaged through our programmes and campaigns. Weoperate through a local network of more than 100business-led partnerships and 60 global partners.

Business in the Community Northern IrelandBridge HousePaulett AvenueBelfast BT5 4HDT (028) 9046 0606F 0870 460 1731E info@bitcni.org.uk

January 2007

www.bitcni.org.ukE-mail: info@bitcni.org.uk

ARENA Network is the environmentalarm of Business in the Communityand provides an environmentalsupport and review service fororganisations of every type and sizein Northern Ireland.

Please visit the website atwww.arenani.org.uk or call us on(028) 9046 0606.

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