Webinar Setting up and running an effective Green Team

Host Andrew Leahy

Presenter Jess Twemlow

Questions?

Webinar aim

─ Understand the benefits of a Green Team

─ Understand the 8 key steps to setting up an

effective Green Team

─ How to maintain momentum in the long term

This workshop will help you set up and run an effective Green Team in your organisation

The benefits of a Green Team

• Effectively engage with staff

• Save money

• Increase energy, water and raw material efficiency

• Attract and retain the best staff

• Enhance organisation reputation

• Help gain a market advantage

Do I need a Green Team?

• A lack of knowledge about the benefits of resource efficiency

• A lack of understanding about what can and cannot be done in the workplace

• A feeling that sustainability is very low on the agenda

• Employees demonstrating little or no interest in behaving sustainability

• Solution – set up a green team

The role of a Green Team

• Lead by example

• Provide guidance and cascade information

• Mentoring

• Set a positive example

• Promote resource efficiency benefits

• Local focus for ideas

Falling at the first hurdle

8 steps to an effective Green Team

1. Get management support

2. Choose the best people

3. Define roles

4. Hold a kick off meeting

5. Set actions

6. Introduce your Green Team

7. Implement your Green Team’s action plan

8. Maintain momentum

8 steps to an effective Green Team

1. Get management support

2. Choose the best people

3. Define roles

4. Hold a kick off meeting

5. Set actions

6. Introduce your Green Team

7. Implement your Green Team’s action plan

8. Maintain momentum

Sell the business benefits

• Realise financial savings for the organisation

• Help to protect against rising resource costs due to resource scarcity

• Help the organisation stay competitive

• Help the organisation comply with legislation

Prepare a brief business case

1. Outline current performance and what this costs the organisation

2. Outline the business risks of inaction

3. Describe the benefits and responsibilities of a Green Team

4. Outline the support you require

5. Provide a breakdown of resource costs and staff time required

Senior Management presentation

8 steps to an effective Green Team

1. Get management support

2. Choose the best people

3. Define roles

4. Hold a kick off meeting

5. Set actions

6. Introduce your Green Team

7. Implement your Green Team’s action plan

8. Maintain momentum

The right people

50 shades of green

Recruiting your Green Team

• A letter or e-mail to senior managers

• An e-mail appealing for volunteers

• An advert on the intranet, staff newsletter or notice boards

• A notice during meetings

What’s in it for me?

• Enhance your CV

• Develop new knowledge and skills

• Networking

• Opportunities to attend training

• The chance to make a measurable different

• The opportunity to have your say and exchange ideas

8 steps to an effective Green Team

1. Get management support

2. Choose the best people

3. Define roles

4. Hold a kick off meeting

5. Set actions

6. Introduce your Green Team

7. Implement your Green Team’s action plan

8. Maintain momentum

8 steps to an effective Green Team

1. Get management support

2. Choose the best people

3. Define roles

4. Hold a kick off meeting

5. Set actions

6. Introduce your Green Team

7. Implement your Green Team’s action plan

8. Maintain momentum

Kick-off meeting

Developing an action plan

• The 4Es strategy model can identify initiatives that will enable and encourage staff to act, engage staff in the need for change and exemplify good practice

• SWOT analysis can identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of specific initiatives

Free action plan – the Savings Finder

find out if you are using water, energy and raw materials efficiently …

and get step-by-step actions to save you money with signposts to the latest free tools

complete an online resource efficiency audit …

8 steps to an effective Green Team

1. Get management support

2. Choose the best people

3. Define roles

4. Hold a kick off meeting

5. Set actions

6. Introduce your Green Team

7. Implement your Green Team’s action plan

8. Maintain momentum

Green Team action plan

Monitoring and evaluation

• Remember to include monitoring actions

• Monitoring will allow you to track your progress and report back your accomplishments

8 steps to an effective Green Team

1. Get management support

2. Choose the best people

3. Define roles

4. Hold a kick off meeting

5. Set actions

6. Introduce your Green Team

7. Implement your Green Team’s action plan

8. Maintain momentum

Introducing your Green Team

• Help team members gain the recognition they need to start to drive change

• Allow wider staff to know who to go to with questions and ideas

• Newsletters and email updates, presentations, signage, posters, staff meetings, intranet…

8 steps to an effective Green Team

1. Get management support

2. Choose the best people

3. Define roles

4. Hold a kick off meeting

5. Set actions

6. Introduce your Green Team

7. Implement your Green Team’s action plan

8. Maintain momentum

7. Implement your action plan

• Carefully scheduled activities so members themselves are not overstretched and their day job is not adversely affected

• Focus activities on ‘quick wins’ to help the team develop and grow confidence

Get involved

8 steps to an effective Green Team

1. Get management support

2. Choose the best people

3. Define roles

4. Hold a kick off meeting

5. Set actions

6. Introduce your Green Team

7. Implement your Green Team’s action plan

8. Maintain momentum

Hold regular meetings

A question of time

Keeping them going

• You will need an ongoing programme of activity to keep your Green Team motivated and involved

• Provide formal training and regular briefings

• Provide feedback on campaign progress

• Publicise Green Team successes

Key pieces of advice

• Find people who care and let them work with their passion and interest

• Make sure your Green Team have clear guidance about their aims, objectives and the scope of tasks

• Develop a Green Team action plan

• Delegate responsibilities and then ask people to report back

• Celebrate victories and milestones

Green Team toolkit

www.resourceefficientscotland.com/run-effective-green-team

Thank you www.resourceefficientscotland.com 0808 808 2268 | @ResourceScot