Smart Office
Handbook
A guide to greening your office
Beyond
the office
This section considers what you can do
once you have completed an eco-audit,
compiled your environmental policy, done
training and implemented your action plan.
Smart Office Handbook
1
The next steps
at the office will
be to address the
procurement of
goods and services,
as well as hosting
of events.
Transport and
buildings have a
large impact on
carbon emissions
and also need
to be taken into
consideration.
Beyond the office
This section explores a few things that you can do on your continuous
journey towards sustainable business implementation:
•
Green procurement considers what products you buy or services you
require at the business;
•
Eco-driving promotes more sustainable travel options;
•
Green buildings encourage the construction or renovation
of buildings to be more efficient; and
•
Event greening promotes responsible hosting of events, meetings,
festivals and exhibitions.
However, this should all be done within the constraints of maintaining the
competitiveness of suppliers, and adhering to sound procurement practices
in terms of the legal and policy frameworks.
When preparing and evaluating tenders, bid specification and evaluation
teams should take into account the following generic selection criteria
as far as possible:
•
Reduction of virgin material requirements of products;
•
Ensuring the highest possible recycled material content of products;
•
Minimising waste in manufacture;
•
Minimising energy consumption during manufacture and operation (this
could include an energy efficiency rating);
Green procurement
•
Minimising and managing the emissions created during manufacture,
delivery, operation and disposal;
Green procurement (also known as eco-procurement) is giving preference
to products and services that reduce the negative impact on the natural
environment and focus on environmental sustainability. It also supports the
concept of local economic development through the procurement of local
goods and services due to reduced transport costs. It is important to consider
the whole cycle, from acquisition and performance through to disposal.
•
Minimising the use of hazardous substances;
•
Encouraging the use of environmentally-certified suppliers;
•
Encouraging the re-usability of the product;
•
Promoting low maintenance requirements;
•
Promoting recyclability; and
•
Ensuring environmentally-friendly and legal disposal methods.
Green procurement promotes the principles of:
•
Wise use of resources
•
Polluter pays
•
Duty of care
Resources
•
Full life-cycle responsibility (full cost accounting).
•
The City of Cape Town has a guideline document on the implementation
of green procurement, which provides guidance on the inclusion of green
procurement principles in tender documents and requests for quotes.
•
SASSI booklet for sustainable seafood: www.wwfsassi.co.za
•
Fairtrade Label South Africa: www.fairtradelabel.org.za
These principles are implemented through:
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Smart Office Handbook
•
Ascertaining firstly whether the product or service is required at all, or in
the quantities being proposed;
•
Considering and reducing the negative environmental consequences of
a product or service at all life-cycle stages;
•
Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa: www.fairtourismsa.org.za
•
Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI): www.bwi.co.za
•
Changing the behaviour of suppliers, consumers and contractors to
further promote resource efficiency and reduce negative environmental
impacts;
•
Greenstuff: www.greenstuff.co.za
•
Minimising waste and hazardous substances; and
•
Ensuring appropriate legal liabilities for any non-compliance detected.
Green the supply chain
The City of Cape Town has incorporated
green procurement principles as part
of its Supply Chain Management Policy.
Green procurement is defined as taking
into account environmental criteria for
goods and services to be purchased
in order to ensure that the related
potential environmental impact is
minimised.
A guideline document
also states that one of its goals
is to promote resource efficiency
and reduce the possible negative
environmental impact of
daily operations of the City. City departments can now provide
for preference points in tenders that
promote the green agenda, such as
reduction in the use of new materials,
the use of recyclable materials,
minimising wastage during manufacture,
energy efficiency, recyclability and low
maintenance requirements. Download
Click here for the Information
and Guideline Document on the
Implementation of Green Procurement
in the City of Cape Town.
Smart Office Handbook
3
Eco-driving
The City of Cape Town’s Travel SMART
programme is about working towards
sustainable transport. This means
any means of transport with low impact
on the environment, which connects
and revitalises communities. It includes
public transport-oriented initiatives,
active mobility (also known as nonmotorised transport and including
walking, cycling and skateboarding),
lift clubbing, low emission vehicles,
and building or protecting urban
transport systems that are fuel-efficient,
inclusive, space-saving and promote
healthy lifestyles.
•
Keep your car well serviced and check the fluid levels regularly. Servicing
your vehicle regularly ensures that it performs at its best and uses the
least amount of fuel (fewer litres per kilometre = fuel
economy). This
also means making sure there are no holes in the vehicle’s exhaust.
Correctly maintained cars can operate more efficiently and help reduce
CO2 emissions (badly maintained vehicles can increase fuel usage by as
much as 50%).
•
Check your tyre pressure monthly. Under-inflated tyres can increase
fuel consumption by up to 40%, and they can also lead to accidents.
•
Remove unnecessary weight from your vehicle. The more you are
carrying in your boot or on your back seats, the heavier the car,
the harder the engine has to work and the more fuel it consumes.
So lighten the load!
•
Close your windows (and sun roof) at higher speeds and remove empty
roof racks. This will reduce wind resistance and can lower your fuel
consumption by up to 10%.
•
Use air conditioning only when really necessary. Turning on your air
conditioner and adding the extra load on to your engine can increase
fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 5%.
•
Reduce idling. If you are going to come to a complete stop for more
than 60 seconds, except when you are driving in traffic, turn off your
engine. This has minimal impact on the starter system, but idling for
more than 10 seconds already uses more fuel than it takes to restart
your car.
•
Avoid speeding and drive smoothly. Increasing your speed from 100
km/h to 120 km/h can increase your fuel consumption by 20%.
•
Review the necessity for attending out-of-office meetings in person;
rather have a video conference or Skype meeting;
Change to the highest gear as early as possible. Driving in a higher gear
is more economical in terms of fuel consumption.
•
Provide safe parking for bicycles and shower facilities for staff to
encourage them to cycle to work. Healthy staff are happy staff; and
Try to anticipate traffic flow. Look at the traffic as far ahead as possible
in order to avoid unnecessary stopping and starting.
•
Walk, cycle, join a lift club or take public transport to your destination.
Fewer cars on the road mean less congestion, as well as a reduction in
your fuel costs and vehicle emissions.
We all know how important transport is in connecting communities to work,
home and each other. Travelling smart, however, means more than that. It
means getting to our destinations safely, in a cost-effective manner and with
the lowest possible environmental impact. It’s about building urban transport
systems and networks that are fuel-efficient, inclusive, safe, space-saving
and healthy. It includes public transport, active mobility (also known as nonmotorised transport), lift clubs and low-emission vehicles.
The overall aim of the Travel Smart Programme is to assist large employers
to create a mindshift among their own staff members and provide these
staff members with information (and, where possible, options) in order to
encourage the use of more sustainable ways of travelling both to and from
work and during the working day, in order to:
•
Increase the use of more sustainable travel options;
•
Reduce single occupancy vehicle use; and
•
Reduce vehicle emissions.
Transport accounts for the majority of energy use in Cape Town (58%) and
thus the City has made an effort to provide alternative options such as the
Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) System and integrated cycle paths. It is not
always practical to catch a bus or go by bicycle; however, here are a few
things to consider that help reduce our own footprint:
•
•
•
•
Start a lift club at your work, with incentives for participants, e.g. gift
vouchers or a monthly payback scheme. In a large organisation it might
be good to have a vehicle that could be used in case of emergency at
home, such as a sick child who might require a parent to leave work
early.
Inform your staff about local transport options to get to your office.
Eco-driving means smarter and more fuel-efficient driving. It represents a
new driving culture that makes the best use of advanced vehicle technologies,
while improving road safety. An important component of sustainable mobility,
it contributes to climate protection and pollution reduction.
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Smart Office Handbook
Here are some eco-driving tips to help you when driving your own car:
Download
Click here to download
the Travel SMART Guideline
with tips on how to form
a legal lift club.
Ensure that your fleet drivers understand the importance of eco-driving as it
can have a significant impact on your running costs.
Smart Office Handbook
5
Smart Building
Handbook
The City of Cape Town has
developed the Smart Building
Handbook in order to promote
resource-efficient building practices,
which will reduce the impact that
buildings have on the environment,
as well as the operating costs of
running them. Green building
practices benefit not only building
professionals but also homeowners,
communities and the environment,
and afford everyone the opportunity
to take the first steps towards a
more sustainable future.
Resources
Green buildings offer a range of benefits compared to normal buildings, such as:
Through the City of Cape Town website, the Travel SMART programme can
now be accessed by all Capetonians in order to help reduce single-occupancy
vehicles and assist everyone across the City to become Travel SMART.
•
reduced operational costs;
•
reduced resource consumption;
•
improved employee health, well-being and productivity;
•
•
improved indoor environmental air quality
•
reduced exposure to new environmental regulations (e.g. carbon tax);
and energy price hikes
•
reduced exposure to utility price increases;
•
attractiveness to staff;
•
building environmentally aware businesses and households; and
•
improving and future-proofing asset value.
Transport Information Centre for MyCiTi, Metrorail, Golden Arrow Bus
Services, taxis, Dial-a-Ride, Park-and-Ride and kerbside parking facilities:
0800 65 64 63
•
MyCiTi bus or cycle lanes: www.myciti.org.za
•
Metrorail: www.capemetrorail.co.za (Mobi-site: www.gometro.co.za)
•
Pedal Power Association: www.pedalpower.org.za
•
Bicycle Empowerment Network: www.benbikes.org.za
•
Cape Town Green Map: www.capetowngreenmap.co.za
•
Cape Town Bicycle Map: www.capetownbicyclemap.co.za
•
Cape Town Bicycle Commuter: www.ctbicyclecommuter.org
•
Arrive Alive: www.arrivealive.co.za
•
Travel SMART campaign: www.capetown.gov.za/travelsmart
Green building
Green building design requires a holistic approach to resource-efficient
building design and construction. It needs to be energy-efficient, resourceefficient and environmentally responsible. The design, construction and
operational practices should significantly reduce or eliminate any negative
impact on the environment and its occupants. Building green is an
opportunity to use resources efficiently and address climate change, while
creating healthier and more productive environments for people to live and
work in.
Buildings are responsible for between 40% and 60% of greenhouse gas
emissions in the city, and are thus a major contributor to global climate
change. The urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other
environmental impacts is therefore driving the change to a more sustainable
built environment.
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Smart Office Handbook
Refer to the Smart Building Handbook for implementation guidelines and
sustainable resource management, as well as more details about the guiding
principles outlined below:
•
be locally appropriate;
•
conserve the natural environment;
•
use resources efficiently and effectively;
•
be approached on a life-cycle basis;
•
minimise waste;
•
use renewable resources;
•
implement sustainable procurement;
•
utilise locally-sourced materials and skills;
•
maximise the health and well-being of users;
•
allow real-time monitoring and evaluation; and
leave a positive legacy.
Smart Office Handbook
9
Green leases set out
the shared responsibilities
of landlords and tenants.
It provides a platform for
sharing the benefits of the
enhanced performance
of the building and
balancing the respective
costs between
each party.
Green Building Council of South Africa
The GBCSA is an independent, non-profit, membership-based organisation
that was formed in 2007 to lead the transformation of the commercial property
industry to environmental sustainability. It is a full member of the World
Green Building Council and the official certification body of buildings under the
Green Star SA rating system. Their mission is to ensure that all buildings are
built and operated in an environmentally sustainable way, so that all South
Africans work and live in healthy, effective and productive environments.
A green building rating tool sets standards and benchmarks for green building,
and enables an objective assessment to be made as to how ‘green’ a building is.
The rating system sets out a ‘menu’ of all the measures that can be incorporated
into a building to make it green. Points are awarded to a building according
to which measures have been incorporated, and after appropriate weighting,
a total score is arrived at, which determines the rating. To achieve certification,
building owners submit documentation to the GBCSA, which employs
independent assessors to assess the submission and score the building.
Certification is awarded for 4-Star (Best Practice), 5-Star (South African
Excellence) or 6-Star (World Leadership) Green Star SA ratings.
There are several rating systems in existence worldwide, including LEED
from the United States, BREEAM from the United Kingdom and Green
Star from Australia. After a process of industry and expert consultation,
the GBCSA board decided to base our South African rating tool on the
Australian Green Star system, and to customise this tool for South African use.
The GBCSA has launched 4 rating tools to date (Office v.1, Multi-Unit Residential,
Retail and Public & Education). In 2013, rating tools will be piloted for
Existing Buildings and Interior Fit Outs. The formalisation of environmental
performance in commercial buildings is encouraged through drawing up a
‘green lease’. The intention of this is to have a reciprocal agreement where
the building owner and tenants undertake to disclose the energy, water and
waste consumption of the building and to identify measures and targets to
reduce the environmental footprint. The Green Building Council of South
Africa has produced a Green Lease Toolkit, which provides guidance for
landlords and tenants. The Toolkit and other useful resources are available
for download on www.gbcsa.org.za
Resources
10
Smart Office Handbook
•
Click here to download the full Smart Building Handbook
(www.capetown.gov.za/smartliving).
•
Visit the Green Building Council website (www.gbcsa.org.za)
for more resources and training opportunities.
Buildings
are a majo
r
contributo
r
of greenho
use
gas emissio
ns
and contrib
ute
towards
climate ch
ange.
Source: Sm
art Buildin
g H an d b o
ok
A total recycling rate of 58%
was achieved as part of the
Green Goal 2010 initiative
during the FIFA World Cup™
in Cape Town.
Event greening
Smart Events Handbook
Event greening is the process of incorporating socially and environmentally
responsible decision-making into the planning, organisation and
implementation of (and participation in) an event. It involves including
sustainable development principles and practices at all levels of event
organisation, and aims to ensure that an event is hosted responsibly.
The City of Cape Town has produced a
Smart Events Handbook to guide event
organisers, venue staff and suppliers in
planning and implementing events in a
sustainable and responsible manner.
It represents the total package of interventions at an event, and needs
to be done in an integrated manner. Event greening should start at the
inception of the project, and should involve all the key role players, such as
clients, organisers, venues, sub-contractors and suppliers. The terms ‘event
greening’ and ‘green’ refer to responsible, sustainable decision-making and
implementation, taking note of environmental, social and economic factors.
The principles and practices of event greening are similar to those required
for running a sustainable business. If an event is hosted in a ‘green’ manner,
the anticipated outcomes are as follows:
58%
•
To increase economic, social and environmental benefits (triple bottom line);
•
To enhance the economic impact, such as local investment and
long-term viability;
•
To improve the resource efficiency of the entire event and supply chain
management;
•
To reduce negative environmental impacts, such as carbon emissions,
waste to landfill, and effects on biodiversity.
•
To strengthen the social impact, such as community involvement and
fair employment;
•
To improve sustainable performance within an available budget;
•
To present opportunities for more efficient planning and use of
equipment and infrastructure;
•
To reduce the negative impact on local inhabitants;
•
To protect the local biodiversity, water and soil resources;
•
To apply the principles of eco-procurement of goods and services;
•
To raise awareness of sustainability issues among all role players;
•
To ensure that the aims and objectives are clearly defined and measured.
Events can have a large environmental
footprint, and therefore it is important
to understand the basic principles and
reasons why we need to change our
actions. This needs to become an integral
part of planning and implementation
at a micro level, but it is also important
to understand the bigger picture and
an event’s relation to global warming.
Greening an event involves incorporating a combination of the following:
•
Environmental best practice;
•
Social and economic development;
•
Education on, and awareness of, sustainability issues;
•
Monitoring, evaluation and reporting on the event-greening initiatives, and
•
Leaving a positive legacy.
Smart Office Handbook
13
Event Greening Forum of SA
The Event Greening Forum (EGF) is an
independent, non-profit, membership-based
organisation that was formed in 2010 by
roleplayers and associations in the South African
events industry.
The aim of the EGF is to promote and embrace
sustainable and ethical business practices within
the events industry in South Africa, with an
initial focus on meetings, incentives, conferences,
exhibitions and events.
Resources
14
Smart Office Handbook
•
Click here to download the Smart Events Handbook
(www.capetown.gov.za/smartliving)
•
Visit the Event Greening Forum website (www.eventgreening.co.za)
for more resources and training opportunities.