Smart Office
Handbook
A guide to greening your office
Kindly sponsored by:
Rich in natural beauty, ecosystems, landscapes, and heritage, with a diverse social
and cultural history, the City of Cape Town
strives to find the meaningful balance
between sustaining our environment, while
promoting economic growth and social
development to enhance the quality of
living for all of our communities.
Cape Town is an urban centre with a growing
population of 3.5 million people. It is the
economic hub of the Western Cape and
represents the global challenge of developing nations; that of building the economy
so as to extend services, reduce the wealth
gap, uplift the poor and ensure equitable
economic and social opportunities to all
communities without eroding its natural
capital. Cape Town offers some of the
highest quality and standard of living in the
world while also some of the poorest. It is
within this imperative of social development
that the City frames its approach and
commitment to environmental protection
and sustainable development.
As such, Cape Town is committed to
mainstreaming environmental protection
and sustainable utilisation of resources
across its responsibilities and decision
making processes, while ensuring that the
social and economic benefits of a healthy
environment are transferred to develop
a more equitable society.
Yo u r business can achieve energy
efficiency by making energy conservation
an integral part of your business journey.
Saving energy means examining your
building’s electricity consumption profile
and related technologies closely and
taking small steps to correct them.
For Pick n Pay, sustainability is not just about
being a ‘green’ company, our approach is to
ensure we become a more resilient company
through embedding sustainable practices in
our core activities. Our environmental efforts
are focused on questioning consumption,
minimising waste and enabling resource
efficiency by optimising logistics and driving
in-store energy efficiency.
The commercial property sector is about
to change with the announcement of the
national standards for energy efficiency
in buildings, referred to as SANS 204.
In addition to less energy, SANS 204 also
looks at the orientation of buildings, their
usage of alternative sources of energy for
water heating, as well as more efficient
climate control.
As a leading food retailer in South Africa,
growing concern around food security and
the food system is critical to our business.
Each of our sustainability focus areas helps
us address food security challenges to create
shared value, while contributing to making
our business stronger and more adaptable in
light of these challenges.
Eskom’s Integrated Demand Management
(IDM) department is committed to helping
its customers in the commercial sector
make informed decisions and provides
access to funding mechanisms –to enable
energy-wise changes that will ensure the
maximum return on your investment.
Partnerships are key to finding solutions to
sustainability challenges. We actively engage
with organisations from different parts of
society. These organisations range from
schools, community and environmental NGOs
to government departments and suppliers,
and our millions of customers.
Sponsors&
Steadfast
Greening
As the country’s leading short-term
insurer and a trusted manager of
risk, Santam views sustainability as
a critical part of doing insurance
good and proper. We have worked
purposefully to change the perception
of short-term insurance to a purchase
associated with peace of mind and
comfort, a product that should add
value to people’s lives, not questions
and uncertainty. Our long-term strategy
includes a thorough analysis of the
full spectrum of risks we are faced
with and a commitment to respond
to the concerns of those stakeholders involved in, or affected by,
our business. Our approach to environmental, social and governance (ESG)
risks and opportunities comes from
an appreciation of systemic risk and
the way this impacts Santam as
a company, our communities, the
country and the world we live in.
ESG issues and their opportunities
form part of our overall systemic
risk and enterprise risk management
processes. The investment we make
in understanding the long term
significance of each risk and our
commitment to be responsive to
stakeholder concerns have kept our
business sustainable – and will continue
doing so into the future.
Steadfast Greening aims to explore
simple, practical solutions that promote
sustainable living and address global
issues, so that people can understand
why they need to do things differently
and what they can do to make a
difference. Grace Stead provides support
to various Green Teams around practical
implementation, capacity building and
change management.
Although the Clicks Group Limited operates
in the business sector of pharmaceutical
healthcare and pharmacy retailing, we
recognise that we are first and foremost
a responsible and accountable member of
the South African and global community.
The group is committed to delighting
our customers through motivated and
competent employees, thereby delivering
exceptional value to our investors and other
stakeholders - none of which is possible
without embracing our stewardship role in
relation to the environment in which we
operate and the communities with which
we co-exist.
The Clicks Group undertakes a detailed
strategic review of our progress against
our integrated sustainability agenda
and objectives and we are proud of the
increasing ways in which sustainability is
becoming an integral part of who we are
and how we do business.
Derrick is an integrated advertising and
communications design agency named
after a type of crane called a derrick.
Derricks are uncomplicated, easy to operate
and effective.
It’s a truly fitting analogy for a company
of our nature, where collaboration is the
order of the day, and the quest is to work
together to find the very best solution
to lift us all to greater heights.
As one of South Africa’s first agencies
to operate on the principles of the Triple
Bottom Line (ensuring profit does not
come at the expense of society or the
environment), Derrick’s creative approach
doesn’t compromise on anything else.
We look into our clients’ businesses
and ensure our solutions fit culturally;
that they are relevant, original and
impactful; but above all, that they make
good business sense now and well into
the future.
Supporters
Smart Office Handbook
March 2013
More information available from:
Environmental Resource Management Department
7th floor, 44 Wale Street
Cape Town 8001
South Africa
Tel: +27 (0)21 487 2284
Fax: +27 (0)21 487 2578
E-mail: smartliving@capetown.gov.za
Website: www.capetown.gov.za/environment
© City of Cape Town
Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of information.
The City of Cape Town accepts no responsibility and will not be
liable for any errors or omissions contained herein.
If you have any comments, suggestions or updates,
please e-mail us on smartliving@capetown.gov.za.
Acknowledgements
Compiling a toolkit of this nature requires research, input and advice
from a variety of sources. We acknowledge, with thanks, all who
have contributed to the information contained in this handbook.
This toolkit and handbook were compiled by Steadfast Greening.
Design and layout was done by Derrick. Content was reviewed
by Erica Wicomb from Santam.
Photography Credits
Pictures courtesy of the City of Cape Town, Bruce Sutherland
and Steadfast Greening, Grace Stead.
Contents
7 INTRODUCTION
9 How to use this toolkit
11 List of acronyms
12 Environmental terms
15 ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
16 Climate change
17 Energy consumption
17 Waste generation
17 Water conservation
18 Biodiversity protection
18 Going green
19 BASICS OF GREENING YOUR OFFICE
21 Step 1: Get top level buy-in about going green
22 Step 2: Do an eco-audit at the office
23 Step 3: Develop an action plan and environmental policy
25 Step 4: Implement your action plan
27 Step 5: Monitor your progress and report on results
28 Getting started
29 ENERGY EFFICIENCY
35 WASTE REDUCTION
30 Quick start
37 Quick Start
31 Things to do
34 Resources
38 Things to do
42 Resources
43 WATER CONSERVATION
44 Quick start
45 Things to do
48 Resources
49 BIODIVERSITY PROTECTION
50 Quick start
51 Things to do
52 Resources
53 BEYOND THE OFFICE
54 Green procurement
56 Eco-driving
58 Green building
61 Event greening
63 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE BUSINESS
64 Triple bottom line
65 Environmental
Management Systems
66 Corporate governance
72 Resources
67 Sustainability reporting
73 Smart office checklist
70 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Smart Office
Handbook
A guide to greening your office
Introduction
This section provides an overview of how to use this
handbook and outlines the main environmental
concerns that are driving change within our society.
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A recent study by Siemens and
McGraw-Hill Construction indicates
that 42% of companies say
sustainability plays a key role in
their business operations, which
is more than twice as many as
in 2006. They study also says the
influence of the chief sustainability
officer position continues to rise,
as does the creation of dedicated
sustainability budgets. Energy
and cost savings remain the most
important drivers encouraging
sustainability, while financial
considerations, such as the state
of the economy and budget issues
are the greatest obstacles to
broader adoption.
Cone Communications,
October 2012
Introduction
Going ‘green’ is no longer a trend; it is the responsibility of every
business, big or small. We cannot undo the damage already done
over time, but we can certainly change the way we do things in the
future. Every action we take; every piece of equipment we use; every
meeting we have; all the paper that we use and throw away has
an impact on the environment. Until recently, most organisations
had not thought of the true environmental impact of their business,
but global pressure and government regulations are now requiring
businesses to re-look at how they run their operations.
We are depleting the earth’s resources at an ever-increasing rate through
everyday business practice. We all have a responsibility to live in a more
sustainable manner and reduce our negative environmental impact at home
and in the workplace.
The benefits to business include reduction in cost for both operations and
maintenance, while protection from energy inflation costs is achieved
through return on investments for retrofits. Local sourcing helps to decrease
transport costs, which supports our local economy and helps to reduce
poverty and unemployment. The reduction in waste to landfill and water
consumption has indirect costs, which will lessen the long-term strain on
resources.
Another benefit is the reduction in carbon emissions due to reduction in
energy use and transport. The procurement and use of environmentally
friendly products (e.g. detergents, chemicals, paints) is better for staff health
and the natural environment, while fair-trade goods are based on good
ethical standards and promote social benefits. If done correctly going ‘green’
can also help brand building and enhance market penetration.
This toolkit will help you to:
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•
Identify what you can do at the office;
•
Develop a process for implementing a sustainability strategy
at the office;
•
Learn tips for practical things you can do around the office;
•
Plan a successful and cost-effective approach to addressing
environmental issues in the workplace;
•
Compile an environmental policy and strategy that is relevant to your
business and of interest to your clients and stakeholders; and
•
Explore further options for implementing sustainability through brief
introductions to eco-procurement, green building and eco-driving.
Smart office
Contact
Sustainability is a journey, not a destination. It is about the people and the
processes that you need to engage with to create a better future for all. It is
about making decisions while considering all of the costs, not just their rand
value. It’s about knowing how to measure your impact on the environment;
and thus, also knowing how best to reduce it.
the Environmental Resource
Management Department at the
City of Cape Town for support
material relating to the Smart Living
Campaign, or download information
at www.capetown.gov.za/
smartlivinghandbook.
The purpose of the Smart Office Toolkit is to provide a practical resource
that enables both office managers and employees to implement effective
greening or sustainability programmes and practices in the workplace. Big or
small businesses as well as government or non-profit organisations can use
the toolkit, because the principles remain the same throughout.
How to use this toolkit
The Smart Office Toolkit has been designed to assist you in your journey
towards a greener office, step by step. It has been developed in support
of the Smart Living Handbook, which provides additional background
information and relates specifically to the home environment.
The Smart Events Handbook provides information about hosting events
in a sustainable manner, while the Smart Building Handbook is a guide to
green building in Cape Town; and the Travel Smart Programme promotes
sustainable transport options.
In an attempt to make this handbook as accessible as possible for
office users and at the same time reduce the associated printing costs,
the design team came up with an innovative dual system.
When you view this handbook online you will see various colourful
graphics that aim to provide interesting information in an innovative
way. Yet, when you print out the handbook only the relevant factual
information will be printed in a user-friendly manner without
wasting paper or ink.
For the online version links at the bottom of the page will take you
back to the main page with the overall index, while prompts are
provided throughout the document for tools that can be downloaded
to support you, with a summary of resources at the end of each
section.
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Structure of this toolkit and handbook
The toolkit includes this handbook and additional support material,
which can be downloaded and used as required.
This handbook has been designed to provide you with a step-by-step guide
to greening your office. It comprises different sections; you can focus on the
section that is most appropriate to your stage of the journey.
•
It starts with a quick overview of the main environmental concerns, and
then provides an overview of the process, with five simple steps that
you can follow on your journey towards a more sustainable office.
•
Further details on the greening principles are outlined in the specific
sections on energy, waste, water and biodiversity, with practical things
that you can do at your office and links to the various tools available.
Each section has a brief introduction, a quick start putting it into context
and a list of practical things you can do.
o Energy efficiency
o Waste reduction
o Water conservation
o Biodiversity protection
•
The last two sections take it beyond the office, addressing issues such
as green procurement, eco-driving, sustainability reporting
and responsible investment.
Additional resources that are available as part of the toolkit include:
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Posters and stickers that you can use for communication.
•
Presentations that you can use to raise awareness with your staff.
•
Checklists that you can use when doing scoping audits.
•
Links to additional information such as the Smart Living Handbook.
•
Guidelines for the development of an Environmental Policy.
List of acronyms
The following section provides a list of acronyms used in this handbook.
BREEAM Building Research Establishment
Environmental Assessment Method (UK)
CDP
Carbon Disclosure Project
CFL
Compact fluorescent light
CO2
Carbon dioxide
CRT
Cathode-ray tube
CSR
Corporate social responsibility
EGF
Event Greening Forum
EMP
Environmental management plan
ESG
Environmental, social and governance
FSC
Forest Stewardship Council
GBCSA Green Building Council of South Africa
GHG
Greenhouse gas
GRI
Global Reporting Initiative
GWP
Global warming potential
HVAC
Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning
IPCC
International Panel on Climate Change
JSE
Johannesburg Stock Exchange
LCD
Liquid crystal display
LED
Light emitting diode
LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (US)
MDG
Millennium Development Goal
NBINational Business Initiative
PVC
Polyvinyl chloride
SRI
Social Responsible Investment
TBL
Triple bottom line
UN United Nations
UNGCUnited National Global Compact
VOC
Volatile organic compound
WCED World Commission on Environment
and Development
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Environmental terms
The following section provides some of the most relevant environmental terms,
while the A to Z Environmental Dictionary can be downloaded for a more
comprehensive list of environmental terms.
Adaptation: The response to the changing climate to minimise
the predicted impacts of climate risks.
Anthropogenic (global warming): (Global warming) caused
by human activities.
Baseline: A minimum or starting point used for comparisons.
Benchmark: A standard or point of reference against which things may
be compared or assessed.
Best practice: The most efficient (least amount of effort) and effective
(best result) way of accomplishing a task, based on repeatable procedures
that have proven themselves successful over time for large numbers of people.
Biodiversity: The rich variety of plants and animals that live in their own
unique environment. Fynbos is a good example of rich biodiversity
in the Cape.
Climate Change: The gradual increase in global temperature (warming)
due to change in the composition of the earth’s atmosphere. Humans have
contributed to climate change, largely by burning fossil fuels, clearing land,
and increased farming, which has exacerbated the greenhouse effect.
Carbon Footprint: Your carbon footprint is the total set of greenhouse
gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by your (office) activities over
a specific time period. It covers everything from staff commuting to the office,
to the use of lights and office equipment, to recycling your office waste
paper and flushing the office toilets. Basically anything that uses a carbon
based energy source (coal, oil, natural gas, etc.) adds up to the office
carbon footprint.
Carbon Offsetting: When you do something proactively to balance
out the carbon emissions created by your initial activities. This results in less
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere than would otherwise have occurred.
Eco-procurement: Giving preference to the procurement of products
and services that do not have a negative impact on the environment.
Event greening: The process of incorporating socially and environmentally
responsible decision-making into the organising, implementation of and
participation in an event.
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Environmental audit: A detailed assessment to check if an organisation
is following the law, its environmental policies and its Environmental
Management System (EMS). The results of the audit help the organisation to
improve its environmental policies and management system.
Environmental, social and governance (ESG), broadly outlined as:
•
Social: financial inclusion, human risks, emerging man-made health risks
and ageing populations
•
Governance: regulations, disclosure, ethics and principles, and alignment
of interests
•
Environmental: climate change, biodiversity loss and ecosystem
degradation, water management and pollution.
Forest stewardship Council (FSC): A non-profit organisation
devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world’s forests.
Consumers wishing to support healthy forests and communities should look
and ask for the FSC label when purchasing wood or paper products.
Fossil fuel: a natural fuel, such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past
from the remains of living organisms.
Global Warming: The increase in the average temperature of the earth’s
surface and oceans. This, in turn, changes the climate and the long-term
weather patterns. These changes may increase the frequency and intensity
of extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, heat waves, hurricanes
and tornados.
Greening practices: The actual application of sustainable living principles,
such as energy efficiency, waste reduction and water conservation.
Landfill site: A scientifically chosen, designed, engineered and managed
location for the disposal of waste by burying it (informally referred to as a
rubbish dump).
Mitigation: Action taken to permanently eliminate or reduce the
long-term risk and hazards of climate change.
Recycling: The processing of used materials (waste) into new products
to prevent waste of potentially useful materials sent to landfill or other
conventional waste disposal methods.
Recycled content: When a product is partially made out of recycled
material, i.e. a portion of the content of the material has been recycled.
Renewable energy: Energy that is generated from renewable resources,
such as wind, solar, geothermal, biofuels, etc.
Renewable energy certificates (RECs): A mechanism for purchasing
green or renewable electricity in units of megawatt hours, in a manner that
stimulates investment in renewable energy projects.
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Resource efficiency: The management of raw materials, energy and
water in order to minimise waste, and thereby reduce cost. It is not just an
environmental initiative; it is also an important business process that could
save your organisation a lot of money.
Retrofit: New technology or new features added to an existing system.
This usually has a cost implication. For example, the replacement of light
bulbs might require that the light fitting also needs to be replaced.
Sustainably harvested: The process of growing and collecting crops
without depleting future resources, also not catching fish during their
breeding season.
Tap aerator: A small device on a tap to restrict water flow without
reducing water pressure, thereby helping to conserve water.
Systemic risk: Risks imposed by interlinkages and interdependencies
of ESG factors in a system where the failure of a single entity or cluster of
entities can cause a cascading failure.
Twin-bin system: The concept of having two bins next to each other for
separate waste types, such as recyclable (dry) and non-recyclable (wet) items.
Water-wise plants: Plants that are indigenous to the region that do not
require additional watering during the regular rainfall patterns.
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Smart Office
Handbook
A guide to greening your office
Environmental
concerns
International concern about the consequences of increasing
deterioration of the human environment and the depletion of
natural resources on economic and social development began to
grow in the 70s. The Brundtland Commission, formally known
as the World Commission on Environment and Development
(WCED), was convened by the United Nations in 1983 to address
this growing concern. The UN General Assembly recognised that
environmental problems were global in nature, and that it was
in the common interest of all nations to establish co-operative
policies and long-term strategies for sustainable development.
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“Sustainable
development is
development that
meets the needs
and aspirations
of the present
generation, without
compromising the
ability of future
generations to meet
their own needs.”
– Brundtland report, 1987.
Environmental concerns
The terms ‘smart’ and ‘green’ are used interchangeably with ‘sustainable’
in this toolkit, bearing in mind the triple bottom line approach of people,
planet and prosperity.
A few of the main environmental concerns of our times are outlined
below to give you some encouragement concerning why it’s important
to green your business and home.
Climate change
Over the years, governments, global leaders and scientists have come
together to discuss the effects of climate change and global warming,
and the necessary actions that must be taken. The evidence – in the form
of increased temperatures, extreme weather conditions, the threatened
extinction of animal and plant species, and many other factors – indicates
that this situation is a reality.
For Southern Africa, sub-continental warming is predicted to be greatest in
the northern regions. Temperature increases in the range of between 1oC
and 3oC can be expected by the mid-21st century, with the largest increases
occurring in the most arid parts of the country. Of greater consequence for
South Africa, as a semi-arid country, is the prediction that a broad reduction
in rainfall (in the range 5% to 10%) can be expected in the summer rainfall
regions. This will be accompanied by increasing incidence of both droughts
and floods, with prolonged dry spells being followed by intense storms. A
marginal increase in early winter rainfall is predicted for the winter rainfall
region of the country (South African National Climate Change Response
Strategy, September 2004).
The rate of warming is increasing. The last two decades in the 20th century
were the hottest in 400 years; and possibly the warmest for several
millennia, according to a number of climate studies. The United Nations
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that 11 of the
past 12 years have been among the dozen warmest since 1850.
South Africa has a considerable carbon footprint because most of our energy
is generated from fossil fuels, while our biodiversity is being threatened by
extreme weather conditions. Changing weather patterns are also a concern
in terms of access to sufficient water; there’s an increasing tendency towards
floods and droughts.
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Energy consumption
Because South Africa has large coal resources, and some of the cheapest
electricity in the world, many people are still careless about electricity
consumption, and our systems are not very efficient.
The steep electricity tariff increase is one of the biggest incentives for
companies to cut down on energy consumption through implementing
more efficient technologies and raising awareness around energy saving.
Our dependence on low-grade coal has resulted in high carbon emissions.
Around 30% of the energy used in commercial and industrial buildings is
used inefficiently or unnecessarily. If the energy efficiency of our commercial
and industrial buildings was improved by 10%, it would equal a reduction
in greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 30 million cars off the road.
The largest energy consumer in office buildings is generally the heating,
ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC), as well as lighting.
Only about 10% of the energy used by an ‘old’ incandescent light bulb
creates light, while the other 90% creates heat – compared to an energyefficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) or light-emitting diode (LED)
bulb, which gives off very little heat. It makes financial sense to replace
incandescent lights with energy efficient lights.
Climate Smart
Cape Town
Climate Smart Cape Town is a
campaign to help residents of Cape
Town learn about climate change and
how they can take action, as well
as about the actions already being
taken – by the City of Cape Town and
other leading public and private-sector
organisations – to mitigate and adapt
to climate change.
For more information, visit
www.climatesmartcapetown.co.za
Waste generation
Ninety-five per cent of our solid waste is disposed of in landfills,
that are now almost full.
Every year some 45 000 tons of plastic waste are dumped into the world’s
oceans. It is estimated that a million seabirds and a hundred thousand marine
mammals are killed by plastic waste each year. Every year, factories release over 3 million tons of toxic chemicals into the
land, air and water. This leads to the loss of over 60 700 square kilometres
of productive land every year. This pollution also leads to respiratory
complications and other health problems.
Water conservation
Less than 3% of all the water on earth is fresh water, and less than 1%
of the world’s fresh water is accessible for direct human use.
Harsh cleaning materials and chemicals used or disposed of down a drain
usually end up in our rivers and oceans, which has a negative impact on
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Cape Action for People
and the Environment:
The CAPE partnership
programme unites
government and civil
society in a strategy to
conserve biodiversity
and create benefits
for the people of the
Cape Floristic Region.
The partnership is coordinated through the
South African National
Botanical Institute
and its fynbos biome
programme.
the natural ecosystems. These same cleaners and chemicals can cause harm
to septic systems and wastewater treatment plants.
The effects of polluted water on human health, on aquatic ecosystems
and on various sectors of the economy, including agriculture, industry and
recreation, can be disastrous.
The UN estimates that by 2025, forty-eight nations (including South Africa),
with a combined population of 2.8 billion people, will face fresh water ‘stress’
or ‘scarcity’.
Biodiversity protection
•
The Cape Floral Kingdom is the smallest of the six floral kingdoms on
earth, and the one with the highest density of plant species. It has over
9 000 different plant species and many animal species, and is also a
global biodiversity hotspot. Over 70% of the plant species here are
found nowhere else on earth. The Cape Peninsula mountain chain
alone supports 2 285 plant species in 471km2, of which 90 species
are endemic.
•
Cape Town contains remnants of the threatened Renosterveld vegetation,
of which only 3% of its original extent remains, making it one of the
most endangered vegetation types in South Africa, if not the world.
Over 250 bird species live in Cape Town, of which ten are endangered,
with at least three having become extinct in recent years. Forty-one
mammal species remain in Cape Town; six recently became extinct.
•
The Cape Town lowlands have the highest concentration of threatened
plants per area of remaining vegetation in the world. The area supports
more than 1 466 plant species in 1 874km2, of which 76 are endemic
and 131 are Red Data Book species. South Africa has the second-highest
number of plant extinctions in the world.
Going green
The concerns mentioned above all impact on our daily activities – and will
ultimately also impact on our business, when scarce resources become even
more expensive, or we cannot access sufficient energy. While we go about
our business as usual, our local biodiversity is a reflection of the delicate
balance between humans and nature – it can be seen as a ‘canary in a coal
mine’, warning us of impending disaster.
The Smart Office Toolkit has been developed by the City of Cape Town,
with assistance from corporate sponsors, to provide a practical resource
that enables both office managers and employees to implement effective
greening or sustainability programmes and practices in the workplace.
Big or small businesses as well as government or non-profit organisations
can use the toolkit, because the principles, practices and processes remain
the same for any type or size of office.
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A guide to greening your office
Basics
of greening
your office
This section provides an overview of the process that you should
implement if you would like to go green at your office. It provides
five easy steps that you can follow and link up to the various
practices in the other sections.
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The terms
‘smart’ and
‘green’ are used
interchangeably
with ‘sustainable’
in this toolkit,
with a focus on
environmental
sustainability,
bearing in mind
the triple bottom
line approach of
people, planet
and prosperity.
Basics of greening
your office
Once you have an understanding of why you need to implement
more sustainable business practices at the office, you need a strategy
to help you to do it. A five-step process is outlined below for if you
are just starting out, or if you want to review your current situation.
More specific details on practices to implement or practical actions to
take at the office are given in the sections on energy, waste, water,
and biodiversity. Following on this you can also refer to the section
on taking it beyond the office and general sustainable business practices.
There are always people in the office really keen to ‘do the right thing’, but
it’s important to make sure that a process is in place, to ensure long-term
success. For this reason it’s also important to get top management to ‘buy in’
right from the start. Here are a few simple steps that should be followed to
ensure success.
Step 1. Get buy-in: Explain to the top management team what
you would like to do at the office, and why it’s important. Focus on benefits
for the office and the process that needs to be followed. Ensure that you
get support from different role-players.
Step 2. Do eco-audit: By doing an eco-audit of the office you will
get a snapshot of the current situation there, and a better idea of what
you need to focus on.
Step 3. Develop action plan: Use the eco-audit to develop an
action plan and environmental policy for your business. It should focus on all
of the important aspects of your business.
Step 4. Make it happen: Implement your action plan over
time – don’t try to do it all at once, but do have a strategy to implement
different elements over time. Ensure that your implementation plan is clearly
communicated to all staff.
Step 5. Monitor and review: Monitor your progress and
report on results. It’s a good idea to re-do the eco-audit at a later stage, so
that you can compare results and review your targets. Your results need to
be shared with management, to close the loop.
These five simple steps will now be described in more detail.
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Step 1: Get leadership buy-in
about going green
When planning an implementation programme and getting other people
involved, make sure that you highlight some of the advantages of having
a Smart Office, which could include:
•
Direct cost-savings: By saving resources (energy, water, paper and
even ink), you will save money through the reduction in resource cost,
e.g. reduced paper usage. Waste reduction and water conservation, as
well as reduced energy and resources, all result in financial savings.
•
Indirect cost-savings: Reduced waste to landfill will reduce longterm waste disposal costs, while reduced water consumption will reduce
the strain on water resources. A reduction in transport costs can be
achieved if eco-driving (smarter and more fuel-efficient driving) is
implemented. Support the local economy, which will reduce poverty
and unemployment.
•
Increased employee productivity: There is a connection
between meaningful work and productivity. Employees and management
who are engaged in greening the organisation tend to be more
productive and take pride in their work.
•
Staff health: Environmentally friendly products (detergents,
chemicals, paints, etc.) are better for staff health, compared with
hazardous chemicals and toxic substances. They also make the office
environment more pleasant (fewer odours, less irritation for eyes, nose,
and throat), which has a positive impact on productivity.
•
Social benefits: There is a strong link between environmental
degradation and social problems. By ensuring that your office does not
harm the environment, you contribute to a healthier society. If you invest
in green Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects, it’s even better.
It has been
proven time
and again that
leadership is a
critical element
in the successful
implementation
of a greening
programme
in the work
environment; it’s
just as important
to have dedicated
people who
will drive the
programme.
With high-level support you will also be able to motivate for budget for
training of staff, or to implement retrofits. Your greening initiatives in
your office can be implemented in other areas of the business, such as in
your fleet management or in hosting green events. Many large corporates
are considering how to provide green buildings for their staff, which has
financial, social and environmental benefits.
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Step 2: Do an eco-audit at the office
Doing an eco-audit will give you a snapshot of the current situation within
the office, and thus assist you in determining your priorities. The focus of an
eco-audit is to establish how eco-efficient your office is, and see what impact
you are having on the environment. It can be used as a baseline to measure
improvement over time.
An eco-audit can either look at all the different aspects simultaneously, or
focus on one aspect at a time; for example, doing an energy audit first and
the rest at a later stage. The eco-audit should be used to determine where
you can make the biggest impact and to help you consider options for making
cost-effective improvements.
An eco-audit can help you determine where your organisation is using most
energy or water. It will provide information for creating an action plan for
making changes and savings. An eco-audit can also be used to look at the
volumes of waste your organisation produces, how and where waste is
generated, and to put action plans in place for reduction and recycling of waste.
Don’t assume that you already know the environmental impact of your
office without gathering accurate baseline information – it could prove to be
counter-productive, and lead to practices that are not efficient or suitable for you.
The Smart Office Toolkit includes a Scoping Audit, which provides a
quick overview of the current situation at the office and can assist you to
determine what you need to focus on first. It is a quick process with yes or
no answers, which calculates to a total score. It is simply a starting point and
should not replace a full eco-audit.
Specific eco-audit templates have been included into the toolkit to provide
you with support when doing your eco-audit. You can also do an eco-audit
training course, which will provide you with practical experience; and you will
meet other people also trying to green their offices.
A guideline has been provided to explain how the eco-audit process works,
and there are also ‘cheat sheets’ that provide additional information for
doing the eco-audit.
Once you have compiled your eco-audit you will have a better understanding
of the main areas on which you need to focus. This will help to guide the
development of your environmental policy and action plan.
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Step 3: Develop an action plan
and environmental policy
This section provides a brief overview of the management process for
establishing your sustainability team, defining your policy, planning your
strategy and determining baseline information through conducting an eco-audit.
Preparation: Establishing
a sustainability team
Your environmental sustainability team or ‘green team’ will be responsible
for driving the greening process in your office. The team should have
representatives from all areas in the office, including management,
maintenance, operations, facility management and so on. It is usually good
to include staff members who are passionate about the environment and
sustainability. As mentioned before, management buy-in and commitment
is absolutely crucial for the long-term sustainability of the team and for the
success of the programme. As with anything else in life, if you do not live it
from within, you cannot live it out!
Some of the tasks for your environmental sustainability team could include
the following:
•
Organising regular meetings.
•
Brainstorming and researching new ideas and technologies.
•
Dedicating roles and responsibilities to individual team members and
other stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of the
environmental sustainability strategy.
•
Following up on actions, taking minutes at meetings and ensuring
that all documentation is accessible to all staff (transparency).
•
Organising environmental sustainability activities (movie screenings,
nature walks, guest speakers etc.) that add a bit of fun to the
sustainability programme.
•
Ensuring that team members, staff and management are recognised
for their efforts, and that efforts and achievements are communicated
to everyone.
Commitment to the overall process is crucial and needs to come from all
levels within the company. It should never be the responsibility of one person,
but a team effort, with solid support from top management.
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Planning: Policy, strategy
and action plan
Once you have done your eco-audit and established a baseline, you need to
put your vision into practice. You will need to decide on the main policy and
principles that the organisation and its staff should adhere to. It is important
that top management supports these principles and that the principles are in
line with company policy.
Your policy is an official statement that outlines your philosophy, intentions,
principles and commitments in terms of sustainability. Your policy should
be short and accessible to all staff. The best way forward is to get team
members to agree to the policy before you proceed with your strategy or
action plan. You might find that your company already has a policy, but that
it is not actively implemented. The information gathered in the eco-audit will
help to guide you as to which areas you need to focus on.
Your policy is the foundation for your action, and should remain constant
over time, although it is good to review it annually to check that it is still
relevant. Once it is agreed on, you should proudly display it as a reminder
and motivation to staff and service providers, so make sure you include a
section in your strategy and action on how you want to ensure that all staff
are aware of your policy.
Your strategy is the way in which you want to build a bridge between your
policy and your action plan. This could include aspects such as establishing a
green team, setting targets, and determining aims and objectives; as well as
developing an action plan that you can implement over time.
Your strategy might include the revision of an existing policy, and should
provide mechanisms for monitoring the success of your action plan. This is
essentially the planning phase prior to your implementation based on the
data gathered. It is good to include specific targets into your strategy that
you would like to achieve.
Your action plan needs to provide more specific goals (objectives) you want
to reach, with target dates, responsible persons, related costs and desired
outcomes. Your aims and objectives will guide the implementation of your
policy; however, the action plan is where the implementation really happens.
Your action plan needs to indicate what you need to achieve, who needs to
do it, and by when it needs to be done.
To put the process into context, we can say that:
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•
Your policy provides the motivation for why you need to do it.
•
Your strategy outlines what needs to be done to implement your policy.
•
Your action plan provides details on how you will reach your goals.
An action plan is often referred to as an Environmental Management Plan (EMP),
and should be able to answer the following questions:
•
What specific actions need to be done?
•
Who needs to take responsibility for each action?
•
By when does it need to be done?
•
What is the current status of the action?
Although it is good to keep it simple, it also helps to consider up front what
resources might be needed, and how you can measure your progress. Your
action plan can also indicate if you have achieved your goal, and list any
lessons learnt during the process. It is a document that should be updated
with each green team meeting.
Starting small is advisable. You will need to review and update your plan
constantly. It is important to follow up and evaluate your actions so that the
action plan is not too static, as it may have to be revised as the greening
takes shape.
Continuous meetings, follow-up and report-back to staff, management
and stakeholders are central to implementation. It is important to keep your
momentum once things get going. Monthly or quarterly feedback is advised;
where possible, it should be included in staff performance evaluations or
key performance indicators, to provide an additional incentive for dedicated
implementation.
Step 4: Implement your action plan
The successful implementation of your action plan depends on both the
team driving the initiative, and the buy-in and support of the staff in general.
The importance of the green team has been discussed under Step 3; Step 4
looks at the importance of communicating your policy, strategy and action
plan, both internally and externally. This will include staff training, but also a
marketing strategy to showcase what your team is doing.
Communication
To ensure the successful roll-out of your action plan you will need to ensure
that all the staff members participate actively. Adequate and engaging
communication is fundamental to the success of your strategy and action
plan. People need to understand why and how their office is implementing
greening; and they need to understand their own environmental impact.
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Not even the most advanced strategy will succeed if the staff are unaware
of it, if they don’t feel part of the process, or if they don’t understand it.
Research has shown that 50% to 60% of the benefits gained from a retrofit
are related to behaviour change, which goes to show how critical it is to have
an effective training programme. Greening is also a relatively new subject for
many of us; and even today, sustainability has not been fully integrated into
the school curriculum.
It’s necessary to have clear and simple communication with all role players,
including:
•
Management team
•
Staff from all the different departments
•
Suppliers and service providers (such as outsourced cleaning
or security staff)
•
Customers or clients
You can plan different ways of doing this, but effective tools include: your
newsletter, internal management and/or staff meetings, notice boards, your
website, your intranet, special events, etc. Any company would benefit from
involving their communications or public relations teams in this process, and
including them on the green team.
It is very important that not only your organisation, but also your suppliers
are moving towards sustainable business operations. You can include
greening criteria in requirements when contracts are signed with service
providers (this is known as eco-procurement). Cleaning and security staff
are often outsourced and thus excluded from the general staff training
programmes, yet it is important that they are integrated into the process so
that they can assist with the implementation. Ensure that you include all the
relevant service providers into your communication strategy.
Training
It is important that your environmental sustainability or ‘green’ team
understands sustainability principles and practices, and is fully committed
to the roll-out of the strategy. If necessary, they should attend training on
sustainability principles and practices. Staff members need to understand
what is expected of them and why it is important, or else they will not
comply with the greening principles.
An effective training strategy is to focus on what staff members can do
at their homes so that they can see the personal benefit and understand
why greening is important. This then needs to be transferred to the work
environment, so that they feel involved in the process. Many of us spend
more time in the office than at home, which offers great potential to make
a huge impact.
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Communication and training is therefore crucial at the initial stages of the
process. This can happen throughout the process, with interactive talks, or
reminders during staff meetings. Environmental sustainability issues should
be incorporated into the normal staff training and induction programmes.
New information can also be placed in office newsletters or on the website
and cover aspects of the greening interventions that are implemented at your
office. Notices can be placed at strategic places in the office.
You can hold lunch-hour talks for clients and service providers to convey
what you aim to achieve, and why it is important to your company. Ensure
that your communication channels are open and clear, and that everybody
knows where they can ask for support or for additional information.
Marketing
Your marketing strategy is an excellent tool or process for communicating
with and informing your customers and clients about your environmental
performance in creative ways. A proper marketing strategy requires research,
planning and commitment. Due to growing consumer demand for green
goods and services, it will also increase the value of investments. But avoid
‘greenwashing’, by always being as specific and genuine as possible.
Step 5: Monitor your progress
and report on results
It is important that you continuously review your progress and update your
targets. This section of the toolkit provides more information about the
management process to assist you and your sustainability team with the
important work that you are doing at your office.
‘Greenwashing’ is
the act of misleading
consumers regarding
the environmental
practices of a company
or the environmental
benefits of a product
or service. This may
happen where there is
no proof of a claim,
or a claim is vague, or
it may be that there is
a hidden trade-off
where it is suggested
that a product is green,
based on a narrow set
of attributes – without
paying attention
to other important
environmental issues.
- TerraChoice
Make sure that you have a monitoring system in place that will provide you
with feedback on the success of your action plan. Each point of your action
plan should have an indicator that can be measured, and a target that you
are aiming for. This could include the amount of waste (in kilograms or as a
percentage) that was originally sent to landfill, but is now recycled; or the
amount of energy consumed per month. The first eco-audit can be your
baseline; over time, you can compare your indicators to the baseline.
The monitoring of your progress needs to be done continuously and it is
advised that the data is reviewed quarterly. An annual evaluation of the
whole situation will assist with reviewing the indicators and setting new targets.
You will need to review your action plan based on the feedback received to
see how you can improve or when you need to look at the next steps that
need to be implemented. Remember that it is a closed-loop system and you
need to continuously improve and strive for better results – go back to
Step 1 again, and repeat the process.
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Getting started
Now that you have an overview of the five main steps that you need to
follow, you can start with the actual implementation.
The different sections of this toolkit provide you with assistance along
your journey. There are templates for doing an eco-audit, examples of an
environmental policy, Powerpoint presentations for training, and much more.
The different sections also focus on specific aspects, such as energy efficiency,
water conservation, waste reduction and biodiversity protection. We have
also provided a brief introduction to concepts such as green building,
green procurement, event greening and smart driving.
Good luck in ‘going green’!
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Smart Office
Handbook
A guide to greening your office
ENERGY
EFFICIENcy
This section aims to provide an overview of the concerns and
practices relating to energy efficiency. The main focus is on
electricity, although there are various other forms of energy such
as gas and petrol.
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Energy efficiency
The City of Cape Town Electricity Department anticipates that the price of
electricity will more than quadruple [415%] between 2006/2007-2015/2016.
In the shorter term, the price of electricity is expected to increase by an
average of 19%. The truth is that saving electricity is not just a nice thing
some people do to save the environment. Today, you need to save electricity
to save your hard-earned rands.
Electricity Savings
Campaign
The City is calling on residents
to reduce their consumption of
electricity. As residential electricity
consumption is responsible for
some 43% of total electricity
consumption in Cape Town,
the City has launched a creative
marketing campaign calling
especially on those who fall in
the mid-to high-income groups,
and who use the most electricity,
to reduce their consumption by
between 25 to 40%.
By means of a marketing campaign
with the slogan ‘Electricity is expensive.
Saving is simple’, the City has devised
a practical checklist and developed
an information-filled website to
encourage residents to save.
Saving electricity is good for everyone.
You can save money, reduce the risk
of load shedding, and make your
own personal contribution to
Cape Town’s environment.
For more information about
the City of Cape Town’s
Electricity Savings Campaign,
visit their website at
www.SavingElectricity.org.za
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The cost of electricity has increased significantly in South Africa over the
last few years. However, our history of ‘cheap’ electricity has resulted in
inefficient systems. Most of the electricity generated in South Africa comes
from non-renewable fossil fuels, such as coal, oil or natural gas. The burning
of these fossil fuels results in high levels of air polluting emissions and
greenhouse gases (GHGs), which in turn contribute to climate change.
Every time we have a cup of coffee, a cold drink from the fridge, a hot
shower, watch television or switch on the light, we consume energy, which
contributes to GHG emissions. By using electricity with care we will be able
to reduce our consumption, save money and also have a positive impact on
our environment.
It is important to understand that although energy savings are possible, they
are usually also linked to energy investments. It costs money to replace the
old lights with more efficient lights, or to install a solar water heater.
To ensure the most effective strategy it is recommended that you first do
an energy audit, and determine what quick wins can be implemented and
where investment is needed.
Quick start
•
Energy Audit: Do an energy audit to determine what items are using
most of your energy, and focus on simple ways you can address these. It
is important to have a baseline (starting point) so you can measure the
impact of your interventions.
•
Strategy and action plan: Ensure that you determine your strategy
with specific goals that you want to achieve, as well as an action plan
for how you want to do this. Your green team should actively participate
in this process to ensure success.
•
Budget: Ensure that you have management buy-in for your energyefficiency audit and retrofit plan so that there is budget available for
possible direct costs, such as replacing light bulbs on installing a hot
water cylinder timer-switch.
•
Invest to save: Remember to consider ‘payback times’ when
motivating for retrofits so that you can determine potential savings as
part of the investment.
•
Awareness: Ensure that employees understand why it is important to
save energy, and what is expected from them. This might require an
internal awareness campaign.
•
Eco-procurement: As part of your long–term strategy you need
to ensure that energy efficiency is included in the procurement of
goods and services. Include energy costs in ‘total cost of ownership’
calculations when evaluating equipment purchases and comparing
with current equipment.
Things to do
Carbon footprint
The main greenhouse gases (GHG) that contribute to climate change include
carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapour and methane (which are measured as
CO2 equivalents). These measurements determine their global warming
potential (GWP). Their GWP depends on both the efficiency of the molecule
as a greenhouse gas and its atmospheric lifetime. Different actions in our
daily business operations (such as transport, travel, using electricity, etc.)
contribute to the increase of carbon emissions.
Through these simple, easy interventions, your office can reduce its carbon
footprint:
•
Reduce unnecessary air travel and encourage Skype or video
conferencing.
•
Use low-emission and fuel-efficient vehicles for your fleet. Encourage lift
clubs, avoid unnecessary trips, and stick to the speed limit.
•
Reduce your electricity consumption through the use of energy-efficient
appliances and ensure that air-conditioning is maintained and used
correctly.
•
Raise awareness of the impact of carbon emissions with staff, customers
and suppliers, as well as suggesting what they can do to reduce their
carbon footprint.
•
Consider the use of renewable energy (such as biodiesel, solar panels, or
wind energy) as a supplement to or partial replacement of conventional
energy sources.
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Equipment and appliances
•
Switch equipment off rather than using standby mode whenever
possible, and specifically after office hours.
•
Save 10% of your air-conditioner’s electricity bill by turning the
thermostat down 1º in winter and 1º up in summer.
•
Dress according to the weather to avoid the use of the air-conditioner,
or ensure that it is set on a timer so that it is only used when the office
is occupied.
•
Screensavers don’t save energy, especially not fancy animations; so
enable the hibernation mode setting for computers, or turn off your
computer screen completely.
•
Laptops use significantly less energy than desktops. Liquid crystal display
(LCD) screens are more energy-efficient than the older cathode-ray tube
(CRT) screens.
•
Photocopy in batches, as less starting up of the copying machine
reduces the energy consumption.
•
Use centralised printers instead of a printer for each desk.
•
Unplug all chargers and adapters when not in use (or switch off at the wall).
•
Use rechargeable batteries where possible.
•
Energy Star is a certification system for electrical equipment to indicate
that it is energy efficient. When procuring new computers, electrical
equipment or appliances, ensure that you state in your ‘request for
quotation’ that they need to be energy efficient.
Lighting
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•
Turn off non-essential lighting: make an honest assessment of how and
where you need to use electrical lights, and consider where you can use
daylight instead.
•
Install energy-efficient or energy-saving light bulbs such as compact
fluorescent lights (CFLs) or light emitting diodes (LEDs). They use
significantly less energy than the ‘old’ incandescent bulbs and they last
much longer.
•
Make sure that lights, light fittings and windows are kept clean for
making the most of natural and electrical lights. Dirty windows and light
fittings reduce the lighting effect and require more energy input to get
the desired light effect.
•
Consider the installation of motion sensors in areas not used frequently
so that lights will turn on and off automatically.
•
Ensure that your outdoor lighting is fitted with energy-saving light bulbs
(CFL or LED), and make use of timers, daylight sensors and motion
detectors to avoid having the lights on when they aren’t needed. Solar
path lights are a good option for lighting your outdoor walkways.
•
Lower the light fixtures or install reflectors in fluorescent lights to
increase efficient use of the lights.
•
Replace conventional ‘exit’ signs and other continuously-lit signage with
LED lights.
•
Use task lighting for direct illumination of work areas instead of area lighting.
•
Make all staff aware of what can (and should) be switched off
when not needed: it’s a good idea to organise your lighting so that
it is easy to turn off all the lights at a single convenient point.
If you can’t measure it,
you can’t manage it!
Ensure that you have
mechanisms in place to
measure your monthly
electricity consumption.
Restroom or washing facilities
•
Set the hot water cylinder temperature to the recommended
temperature of 60°C. Consider whether you really need hot water
at the office.
•
Consider the installation of a faucet heater, which heats only the water
that comes out the tap when it is needed. This works well for small
office kitchens.
•
Do not wash one cup at a time under the hot tap; but rather stack
the dirty dishes and wash them together in the sink at the same time.
•
Insulate the hot water pipes and hot water cylinder.
•
Showers should have water-efficient showerheads with a maximum flow
of 10 litres per minute. This can save up to 50% of water used
for showering, and also reduces the cost of heating water.
•
Consider the installation of motion sensors in storerooms and bathrooms.
Kitchen or canteen
•
Make sure that fridges, stoves, microwaves and other appliances are
working properly. Perform regular maintenance and check that door
seals are good so that they close properly.
•
Do not leave the fridge door open, and ensure that freezers
are defrosted regularly.
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Remember to recycle
old CFLs correctly,
because they contain
mercury vapour and
should be handled
with care. If a CFL
breaks, make sure
you ventilate the
room well.
•
When using a kettle, do not fill it right to the top if you only intend
making one cup of tea; rather, only boil the amount you need.
•
Store excess hot water from the kettle in a vacuum flask for the odd cup
of coffee or for washing up later.
•
It you still have an urn, replace it with a hydro-boiler, which is much
better insulated and provides boiling water throughout the day.
Remember to switch off the hydro-boiler at night and over weekends.
•
Place a lid on the pot when cooking, and ensure that the size of the pot
is appropriate to the size of the stove plate.
•
Consider the use of a hot box to reduce energy requirements.
Reality check
With the increase in electricity costs in South Africa,
these measures can provide a significant saving
for your business. However, you must realise that
it will require time and money to ensure that the
most effective system is implemented.
Ensure that your retrofit includes both technical
and people-driven solutions.
Resources
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•
Click here for more information and useful tips on electricity saving
(www.SavingElectricity.org.za).
•
Click here for the energy section of the Smart Living Handbook:
(www.capetown.gov.za/smartlivinghandbook).
•
Click here to download your energy audit form and cheat sheets.
•
Click here to download stickers and posters, which you can print and
use in your office to raise awareness around energy efficiency.
•
Click here to download training material for your staff.
Smart Office
Handbook
A guide to greening your office
W ste
Reduction
This section aims to provide an overview of the concerns and practices relating to waste management.
The main focus is to firstly reduce the waste created and consider how items can be re-used,
then to ensure that items are recycled (or composted) and as a last resort ensure that they are safely
disposed of if they can’t be recycled or composted.
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Waste reduction
Our daily work activities require that we use products that are extracted from
the earth in one way or another. From trees made into paper, to oil made
into plastic, or the extraction of metal used for making equipment – all these
products create waste when manufactured and when discarded. Every time
we buy something for our office we need to consider where it comes from
and the impact that it will have on the environment, so that we can avoid
waste creation where possible.
The City of Cape Town
currently creates about
5 400 tonnes of waste
per day. About 13%
of this is diverted from
landfill through
recycling initiatives.
Integrated waste management is when we reduce waste sent to landfill
(rubbish dumps) and implement effective recycling. The largest focus should
be on reduction, with only a small portion of the waste sent to landfill to be
disposed of as a last option.
Reduce waste created
Re-use products
Recycle
Dispose
The integrated waste management hierarchy
Integrated waste management has multiple benefits:
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•
It will reduce the cost to your company if waste is charged by the
frequency and amount of waste removed, such as number of wheelie bins.
•
Recyclables can be collected separately; and sometimes companies even
get paid for their recyclable waste, or can negotiate a better rate for
waste collection.
•
It will contribute to environmental awareness among staff members,
as it is one of the most visual practices in offices, and affects all staff.
•
It will reduce the pressure on landfills, which will help to avoid high
costs relating to development of new landfill sites situated further away
from the city.
•
It can improve the company’s green profile and contribute to job
creation, if well managed and linked to well-planned recycling services.
It is relatively easy to measure if the right processes are in place.
We currently generate enormous amounts of waste, and the pressure on
our landfill sites is becoming difficult to handle. Due to population growth
and increased wealth we are experiencing a growing demand for resources,
so we have no choice but to become more resource-efficient. If we re-use
or recycle our waste, we save space in the landfill and delay the building of
costly new landfill sites.
Our resources (water, oil, trees, etc.) are valuable and should not just be
thrown away. It is much easier and less energy-intensive to recycle a glass
bottle or tin can than to extract raw materials to make a new product.
Recycling reduces the need to constantly extract or mine new resources.
Extraction of resources often has significant negative environmental impacts.
Quick start
•
Waste Audit: Do a waste audit to determine what types of waste are
generated in different areas. You need this information to set up an
effective recycling system. Find out who collects your waste and how
you are billed for this. Check to see if there are local recycling companies
that can collect your waste, then try to negotiate a saving because of
your recycling initiative.
•
Strategy and action plan: Ensure that you determine your strategy
with specific goals that you want to achieve, as well as an action plan
on how you want to do this. Your green team should actively participate
in this process to ensure success.
•
Awareness: Ensure that staff understand the reason why they need to
recycle, and what is expected from them. This will require an internal
awareness campaign and dedicated recycling bins.
•
Recycling system: It is critical to ensure that a recycling system is in
place at your office to encourage integrated waste management:
○
Avoid creating the waste, e.g. drink tap water instead of bottled water
○
Reduce the amount of waste created, e.g. set the printer to print
double-sided, thus reducing the amount of paper needed, or
promote reusable items instead of disposable items (such as using
coffee mugs instead of paper cups).
WasteWise Campaign
WasteWise is one of the City
of Cape Town’s Solid Waste
Management Department’s
integrated waste minimisation and
awareness programmes designed
to raise awareness and encourage
action among the general public
and businesses of Cape Town to
minimise waste, reduce littering,
stop illegal dumping and increase
recycling.
The programme seeks to foster
behaviour change and encourage
a culture of environmental
responsibility among all Capetonians,
in a joint effort to reduce waste
to landfill and empower citizens
to minimize waste and littering. It
is being implemented through
strategically tailored campaigns
aimed at engaging with communities,
schools, commerce and industry, and
the general public.
For more information about the
City of Cape Town’s WasteWise
campaign, visit their website at
www.capetown.gov.za/en/
Solidwaste2/WasteWise/
Pages/default.aspx
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○
Consider the re-use of products in their current form rather than
recycling these products, e.g. re-use paper boxes for storage
or filing purposes, and refill ink cartridges.
○ If you can’t reduce or re-use an item, recycling is the next option.
A large percentage of waste that goes to landfill can actually be
recycled. Easy items to consider for recycling include glass, paper,
plastic and tin cans.
○
•
If you can’t do any of the above and you have to dispose of it,
ensure that this is done in a safe and responsible manner that
avoids waste pollution.
Eco-procurement: As part of your long–term strategy, you need to
ensure that waste reduction is included into the procurement of goods
and services. Procure reusable instead of disposable projects where
possible. Check to see if your waste collection company can also arrange
for your recycling and include it into future contracts, with a request to
measure the amount of recycling diverted from landfill.
Things to do
At your desk
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•
Re-use envelopes, paper clips and wrapping paper.
•
Use paper made from recycled product that is chlorine-free and has the
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo.
•
Set your printer to print both sides by default, and reuse paper that has
been printed on one side only.
•
Become a paperless office: Explore eliminating the use of paper in your
office, or using paper more efficiently. Use electronic databases instead
of storing hard copies. Don’t print e-mails (and encourage others not to
do this too).
•
Sign documents with digital signatures if possible, and preview
documents before printing to avoid having to reprint.
•
Do not print agendas and minutes for meetings: Get into the habit of
using electronic equipment such as data projectors for meetings so that
all meeting members have access to the agenda and minutes.
•
When you buy your stationery, consider environmentally friendly
alternatives.
•
Use refillable ink cartridges and ensure that old cartridges are
disposed of safely.
•
Ensure that your electronic waste (anything with a plug or battery) is
disposed of safely.
Kitchen, canteen or catering
•
Avoid disposable cups and plastic lids in your office: Everyone should
have their own mug, and a small number of re-usable cups and glasses
can be purchased for visitors.
•
Avoid bottled water in your office: Bottled water is expensive and uses
large quantities of fossil fuel (both for the actual bottle and for the
energy required for the manufacturing) and water to produce. Plastic
bottles add to the problem of our overfilled landfills, and can also take
up to 500 years to biodegrade.
•
Use cutlery made from stainless steel instead of disposable plastic:
When disposable cutlery is absolutely necessary, make sure that it is
biodegradable or made out of alternative materials, for example corn starch.
•
If practical, make sure that any organic waste goes into compost. It is
very easy to start a compost bin at your office, especially if you have an
outside area.
•
Worm farms are ideal for food waste – start one for the kitchen or
canteen food waste and use the compost for the office garden. It is
quite easy to start and maintain a worm farm and is a wonderful item to
use for training, newsletter stories, etc. See more information on how to
do this under ‘Resources’.
A typical office
environment will have
large quantities of
paper or cardboard
waste, with some
plastic – often related
to packaging – and
some electronic or
hazardous waste.
The office kitchen or
canteen would mostly
include packaging
waste such as paper,
plastic, polystyrene,
glass or tin cans, as
well as organic waste.
Recycling made easy
Your eco-audit should have provided you with information about the main
type and volume of waste that is generated at the office. Find out if there is
a local collection point for your recyclables such as glass, plastics, cans, paper,
oil, tyres, and batteries, or find out if there is a recycling collection company
that can collect from your office.
You might need to check your current waste management service contract to
get a better understanding of what you might be able to influence. You have
to decide what you will recycle; however, first you have to find out from your
waste-management or proposed recycling company:
• What recycling do they take?
•
Do you need to clean or sort your recyclables?
•
When do they collect and what is the potential frequency?
•
Do they provide bags and/or recycling bins?
•
How much will they charge on a monthly basis?
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Ensure that your bins
are clearly labelled
and placed in a set
next to each other.
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You can decide how you want to do your recycling in the office, but it is
important to remember the following:
•
Your waste audit will tell you how much waste can be recycled, and this
will determine the size of your recycling bins.
•
Some recycling initiatives provide recycling bins or containers free.
•
Always put recycling bins at strategic points (close to the source of
the waste), i.e. close to printers, photocopiers, canteens, exit doors,
communal leisure areas, etc.
•
Signage needs to be very clear at all of the recycling points to ensure
that people understand what is required of them.
•
Put recycling bins and normal waste bins next to each other i.e. in a pair.
•
Ensure that your bin colours stay the same throughout the building, e.g.
green is for recyclables and red for non-recyclables, while paper could be
orange.
•
You have to determine who will empty the bins. Whoever it is (e.g.
cleaning staff), it is important that they know what to do and why they
are doing it. Training is therefore necessary.
•
It would be a good idea to make some information on recycling
available to your staff or to have a short training session in one of your
planning meetings.
•
Different types of paper should go into different recycling bins, because
white office paper is more desirable for recycling companies.
•
Flatten cardboard boxes before placing in the recycling bin, as this saves
space and is often also required by the recycling collection company.
•
If you plan to have a large back-of-house recycling centre you have to
consider the location, space, access, health and safety issues, equipment
needed, staffing your centre, finances to set it up, removal schedule, etc.
Reality check
The implementation of a recycling programme
at the office can have a significant impact and
assist with awareness-raising in a very visual
way, yet it is not the easiest thing to do. It is
very important to ensure that your support staff
are training and take ownership of the process.
Ensure that recycling bins are clearly labelled and
correctly placed – it is advisable to monitor this and
adapt if needed. But the most important thing
is appointing a service provider who can collect
your recyclables, ensure that they are dealt with
responsibly, and provide details on the quantity
and type of recycling.
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Resources
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•
Click here for information about the commercial WasteWise programme
(www.capetown.gov.za/en/solidwaste2).
•
Click here for the waste section of the Smart Living Handbook
(www.capetown.gov.za/smartlivinghandbook).
•
Click here to download a copy of the Waste edition of Enviroworks.
•
Click here to download your waste audit form and cheat sheet.
•
Click here to download stickers and posters, which you can print and use
in your office to raise awareness around waste reduction and recycling.
•
Click here to download training material for your staff.
Smart Office
Handbook
A guide to greening your office
Water
conservation
This section aims to provide an overview of the
concerns and practices relating to water conservation.
Water is a critical resource on which we depend
for all our basic needs.
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Water Demand
Management
The City of Cape Town encourages
all residents and business to use
water with care. The Water By-law
(2010) stipulates that no person may
negligently, purposefully or wastefully
permit pipes or water fittings to leak,
use water fittings that are incorrectly
adjusted or inefficiently use water
of allow the inefficient use of water
to persist. An owner must repair or
replace any part of the water installation
that is wasting water.
A consumer must ensure that any
equipment or plant connected to
the water installation uses water
in an efficient manner. Any owner
or consumer must comply with
the good water conservation and
demand management practices.
Major water users (those using more
than 10 000 kilolitres per annum),
excluding those comprising multiple
dwelling units, must undertake an
annual water audit. The audit must
reflect the amount of water used,
the number of people working on
the premises, details of initiatives
to manage demand for water and
comparisons over a three year period.
Water conservation
Water is a critical natural resource on which we all (humans, animals,
plant life, sea life, etc.) depend. It is one of the most important
life-support systems we have on our planet.
South Africa is a water-stressed country with limited renewable water resources.
We are currently using water in an unsustainable manner, and there will not
be enough water supplies for everyone in the future. We are over-exploiting
and polluting the resources we have. We must become aware of the impacts
of our unsustainable water use, and change our behaviour.
Providing fresh drinking water to a growing population is both challenging
and costly. With 98% of our fresh water supplies already allocated for use,
the projected water demand for South Africa is not sustainable, and we are
already experiencing water shortages in some parts of the country.
Currently, the only sustainable option is to implement water conservation.
Water conservation is the implementation of one or several measures to reduce
the amount of water used in your office, and the water used to produce the
goods and services that your office uses. Implementing water conservation
measures and promoting a water-wise office will have many benefits. It will
result in cost-savings (cheaper water bills); make the company more competitive;
reduce the company’s carbon and water footprints; and contribute to local,
national and global water conservation.
If you reduce your company’s water footprint, you will improve your company’s
social and environmental profile and make it more competitive in an increasingly
environmentally-aware market. Increasing urban development and the impacts
of climate change (such as drought and floods) will make water security
a priority in South Africa.
Water conservation initiatives also make excellent corporate social responsibility
projects. You can contact local environmental organisations and team up
with other offices for ideas on projects to get involved in.
Quick start
The City has recently launched a
‘Keep saving water’ campaign,
with tips and advice on
how to save water.
For more information, visit
www.capetown.gov.za/water
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•
Water Audit: Do a water audit to determine a few simple items that
are using most of your water, and focus on how you can address these.
It is important to have a baseline (starting point) so you can measure
the impact of the interventions.
•
Strategy and action plan: Ensure that you determine your strategy
with specific goals that you want to achieve, as well as an action plan
on how you want to do this. Your green team should actively participate
in this process to ensure success.
•
Maintenance: It is very important to ensure that there are no dripping
taps or toilets at the office, so ensure that this area is included into a
monthly maintenance check as part of your action plan.
•
Gardens: The watering of lawns and gardens is very water intensive,
and not permitted between 10:00 and 16:00.
•
Awareness: Ensure that employees understand why it is important
to save water, and what is expected from them. This might require
an internal awareness campaign.
Things to do
Restroom and washing facilities
•
Use only non-toxic and biodegradable soaps.
•
Taps should be fitted with aerators, which can reduce the water flow
from 20-30 litres per minute to 6-10 litres.
•
If your office has showers, encourage the users to close the taps while
shampooing, and to only take short showers.
•
Fit water-efficient showerheads, which save water and energy (and
money).
•
Install water-efficient toilet flush systems with cisterns not exceeding 9.5 litres.
•
If your office has a new plumbing system, make sure that the settings
are correct (especially for flush-master toilets).
•
Ensure that any dripping taps or toilets are fixed as soon as possible.
Remove alien
vegetation and replace
with water-wise and
indigenous plants.
Alien vegetation is
often very thirsty,
and in South Africa
this is one of the
biggest threats to our
fresh water supply.
Garden or outdoor spaces
•
Remove alien vegetation and replace with water-wise and local
indigenous plants. Alien vegetation is often very thirsty, and in South
Africa this is one of the biggest threats to our fresh water supply.
•
Only water your outdoor office garden and office plants between 16:00
and 10:00, and avoid watering when it is very hot or windy (the water
will evaporate and not be absorbed by the plants).
•
Install a drip irrigation system: By slowly dripping water to the roots of
the plants instead of using sprinklers or a hose for watering, the water
use is made more efficient and directed to the right place. Sprinklers and
hoses are less precise, and often cause unnecessary run-off as the soil
gets saturated.
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The Cape Town
Water By-law
requires companies
that use large
amounts of water
to do an annual
water audit.
•
Ensure that sprinkler systems are set and directed correctly to prevent
water from running off paved areas into stormwater drains.
•
Avoid hosing down hard surfaces or paved areas to prevent water from
going into the stormwater drains (which basically wastes water and
contributes to blocking and overflowing of the system). If it is absolutely
necessary to use a hose, then try not to use drinking water, rather grey
water or rain water.
•
Cars should be washed on permeable surfaces where possible, to
prevent wasting water and blocking or overflowing of stormwater
drains.
•
Install rainwater tanks to harvest and store water for your office gardens,
pot plants, cleaning, and flushing.
•
Design a roof garden with some plants and shade for staff to relax over
lunchtime.
•
Lay permeable paving on your office property to encourage natural
drainage; hard surfaces contribute to water runoff and debris
overflowing and blocking stormwater drains.
Kitchen, canteen and catering
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•
Avoid letting the tap run without actually using the water for anything
– it sounds odd, but you’d be surprised how many people actually do this!
•
Only boil the amount of water you need when using the kettle
– if you boil too much, keep the rest warm in a flask to be used later.
•
Reduce office-related water pollution to zero: Only use biodegradable
cleaning products and make sure you do not dispose of hazardous
waste in the sink or toilet.
•
Use the economy cycle on your dishwasher and washing machine.
•
Only run the dishwasher when full; and when rinsing glasses, do so in a
bucket or plugged sink rather than under a running tap.
•
For cold water, keep a jug or a bottle of tap water in the fridge instead
of letting the tap run to get rid of warm water (this can be reduced by
insulating the pipes).
•
Make sure your fridge is air-cooled and not water-cooled.
•
Do not boil more water than is needed for cooking.
•
Switch from bottled water to tap water, even if you need to invest in a filter.
Water footprinting
The water footprint of a product is defined as the total volume of fresh
water that is used directly (actual footprint) or indirectly (virtual footprint) to
produce a product or service. It is estimated by considering water use in all
steps of the production chain.
About 18 900 litres of water are needed to produce 1 kg of roasted coffee,
taking into consideration the water needed to grow the plant and the
process for roasting the coffee. For a standard cup of coffee (250ml) we
need seven grams of roasted coffee, so a cup of coffee needs about 130
litres of water when you consider the whole process from plantation to cup.
Eskom needs about 1.35 litres of water per kWh of electricity produced. This
means that Eskom uses 27 litres of water to provide you with enough energy
to run one energy-efficient light bulb of 20W for an hour. Saving electricity
also saves water.
Here are a few examples of different products and the amount of water that
they require during their manufacturing or production cycle:
•
•
•
•
•
10 litres of water for one A4 sheet of paper
130 litres of water for one cup of coffee (250 ml)
1 700 litres of water for a slab of chocolate (100g)
2 500 litres of water for one cotton shirt (250 g)
8 000 litres of water for one pair of jeans (800 g)
Your company can reduce its operational water footprint by saving water in
its own operations and reducing water pollution to zero. For most businesses,
however, the supply-chain water footprint is much larger than the operation
footprint. It is therefore crucial that your company address that as well.
Achieving improvements in the supply chain may be more difficult – because
it is not under your direct control – but it may be more effective.
Your company can cut its supply-chain water footprint by making supply
agreements including certain standards with its suppliers, or simply by
changing to another supplier. In many cases this may not be a trivial task,
because the whole business model may need to be transformed in order to
incorporate or better control supply chains and to make supply chains fully
transparent to consumers. Among the various alternative or supplementary
tools that can help improve transparency are: setting quantitative waterfootprint reduction targets, benchmarking, product labelling, certification,
and water-footprint reporting. www.waterfootprint.org
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Reality check
Water is a scarce resource, yet few people really
use it consciously. We need to move beyond just
closing the tap, and look at what we need to
go into the tap. We need to review business
practices and ensure that the most effective
water-saving principles are implemented and that
the staff actively participate.
Resources
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•
Click here for the water section of the Smart Living Handbook
(www.capetown.gov.za/smartlivinghandbook).
•
Click here to download your water audit form and cheat sheet.
•
Click here to download stickers and posters, which you can print
and use in your office to raise awareness around water saving.
•
Click here to download training material for your staff.
Smart Office
Handbook
A guide to greening your office
Biodiversity
Protection
This section aims to provide an overview of the concerns and practices
relating to our local biodiversity. Offices, big or small, can contribute
through considering their impact both directly and indirectly.
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Environmental
Resource Management
Cape Town’s unique environment is
its greatest asset, making it one of the
most sought after urban areas in the
world, both to live and work in and
as a tourist destination. Located in the
Cape Floral Kingdom (the smallest and
most diverse of the world’s six floral
kingdoms) the city is a biodiversity hot
spot of international importance.
In recognition of the need to effectively
manage and protect this valuable
environment, the Environmental
Resource Management Department
is tasked with leading the
implementation of the City’s Integrated
Metropolitan Environmental Policy
(IMEP) - a framework of strategies
and programmes for environmental
sustainability. One of the department’s
many focus areas is to manage the
various nature reserves within
the City’s boundary.
www.capetown.gov.za/environment
The Cape Town Green Map promotes a
fresh view of the city’s environment and
aims to remind residents and visitors
to enjoy the natural environment near
to their place of residence and work.
It showcases ways and means to
live, work and play in a manner that
reduces their impact on the fragile
ecosystems within the City.
Cape Town’s Green Map is available
in printed format and in an interactive
online version, accessible at
www.capetowngreenmap.co.za.
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Biodiversity protection
Cape Town has a unique landscape, and is one of the most beautiful
cities in the world. It is also one of the most diverse cities, from the
perspectives of landscape, biodiversity, culture and heritage; and
these aspects are its key economic assets, making it (among other
things) a popular tourist destination. The City of Cape Town aims to
ensure that these qualities are retained for future generations.
When speaking of biodiversity we refer to the variety of plant or animal
life in a particular habitat. Cape Town is located within an area of globally
significant biodiversity and unique conservation value. The Cape Floral
Kingdom has approximately 9 600 species of indigenous plants, of which
70 per cent are endemic and 1 406 are listed in the Red Data Book. It is one
of Conservation International’s Global Hotspots of Biodiversity, placing an
international responsibility on our government to ensure its conservation.
The most significant threats to our biodiversity are habitat loss (due to rapid
development, especially urbanisation and urban sprawl), invasive alien plant
and animal species, abnormal fires, over-exploitation of natural resources,
pollution, environmental degradation, and climate change. All these threats
are human-induced, and in order to reverse the current trend of biodiversity
loss we must change the way we do things and become more aware of how
our actions impact upon the environment around us.
By engaging in biodiversity initiatives and promoting awareness of your
local biodiversity, you will improve your company’s green profile and attract
environmentally- and socially-aware staff and clients.
Quick start
•
Ensure that the biodiversity initiatives are included in your overall
green strategy.
•
Identify and dedicate a biodiversity champion in the office (it’s best
to do this at an early stage) who will be responsible for co-ordination,
monitoring and evaluating your biodiversity initiatives.
•
Develop an office biodiversity strategy and action plan: these can vary
from being very simple tasks for the individual office to engage in, to
being long-term commitments as part of large-scale company strategies.
•
Include a biodiversity assessment into your eco-audit.
•
Incorporate biodiversity into your procurement policy; make sure that
the goods and services you use are biodiversity-friendly and comply
with environmental legislation and policies.
•
Ban all products that are not biologically and environmentally safe:
avoid genetically modified produce or products that contain harmful
chemicals that can severely threaten biodiversity and have negative
impacts on human health.
•
Ensure that your office fulfils its biodiversity commitments and
reports back on status and outcomes to stakeholders and staff.
•
Making investments in the biodiversity sector or contributing to
biodiversity conservation could form part of your company’s corporate
social responsibility or responsible investment programmes.
Use non-toxic and
environmentally-friendly
pesticides, herbicides
and cleaning chemicals
at the office.
Things to do
•
Make sure that you procure biodiversity-friendly goods and services
for your functions and events.
•
Eradicate all alien invasive vegetation from your office landscaping.
Alien plants often require much more water than indigenous plants, and
therefore contribute to our water stress. Invasive alien plants are also a
threat to indigenous biodiversity as they tend to ‘take over’ and change
the indigenous ecosystem. Implement a proper alien invasive vegetation
control programme, ensuring that these plants are effectively controlled
and eradicated in the long run
•
Use herbal or non-hazardous pesticides and herbicides, and
environmentally-friendly products that are also safe for human health.
•
Plant locally indigenous plants and have indigenous pot plants.
Live indoor plants also improve indoor environmental quality.
•
Do you have freshwater systems, boreholes or wetlands on your office
property or close to its location? Then you should take extra care to
prevent littering, pollution and the use of hazardous and non-biodegradable
products. Wetlands are often home to rich and vibrant biodiversity, and
many living organisms, including ourselves, depend on maintaining the
health of freshwater systems.
At your desk
•
Make sure that both indoor and outdoor spaces have bins for proper
waste disposal and recycling, to avoid littering and pollution: If people
throw their rubbish on the ground it will eventually end up in rivers,
wetlands and other natural areas.
•
When placing a stationery order, consider goods that are locally
produced and do not contain harmful materials, e.g. plastic rulers that
contain no PVC, pencils containing sustainably-forested (FSC) wood,
non-imported products.
•
Re-look at the procurement of furnishings and opt for sustainable
forested timber options, locally manufactured modular units, carpets
and paints with low VOC’s, no PVC... the list is endless, but innovative
ideas can assist with implementation.
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Reality Check
Cape Town is a global urban biodiversity “hotspot”
without parallel. It has fifteen vegetation types
specific to the unique mix of soil, climate,
topography, and oceanic influences found here.
These vegetation types include high levels of
species diversity and endemism, and unique
ecological gradients found nowhere else in
the world. Cape Town is also unusual in that
an entire national park, Table Mountain,
is situated within its boundaries.
Resources
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•
Click here for information about the City of Cape Town’s nature reserves.
•
Click here for information about Cape Town’s beaches.
•
Click here for the biodiversity section of the Smart Living Handbook
(www.capetown.gov.za/smartlivinghandbook)
•
Click here to download your biodiversity audit form.
•
Click here to download stickers and posters, which you can print
and use in your office to raise awareness around biodiversity.
•
Click here to download training material for your staff.
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.
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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.
Green procurement
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.
Green procurement promotes the principles of:
•
Wise use of resources
•
Polluter pays
•
Duty of care
•
Full life-cycle responsibility (full cost accounting).
These principles are implemented through:
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•
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;
•
Changing the behaviour of suppliers, consumers and contractors to
further promote resource efficiency and reduce negative environmental
impacts;
•
Minimising waste and hazardous substances; and
•
Ensuring appropriate legal liabilities for any non-compliance detected.
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);
•
Minimising and managing the emissions created during manufacture,
delivery, operation and 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 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. Resources
•
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
•
Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa: www.fairtourismsa.org.za
•
Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI): www.bwi.co.za
•
Greenstuff: www.greenstuff.co.za
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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.
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.
•
Review the necessity for attending out-of-office meetings in person;
rather have a video conference or Skype meeting;
•
Provide safe parking for bicycles and shower facilities for staff to
encourage them to cycle to work. Healthy staff are happy staff; and
•
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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Here are some eco-driving tips to help you when driving your own car:
•
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%.
•
Change to the highest gear as early as possible. Driving in a higher gear
is more economical in terms of fuel consumption.
•
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.
Ensure that your fleet drivers understand the importance of eco-driving as it
can have a significant impact on your running costs.
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Resources
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.
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.
•
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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Green buildings offer a range of benefits compared to normal buildings, such as:
•
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.
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.
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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
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•
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.
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:
•
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.
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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
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•
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.
Smart Office
Handbook
A guide to greening your office
Sustainable
development
in the business
This section provides a brief overview of some international best practice
around corporate governance, reporting and social investment.
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The triple bottom line
captures the spectrum of
values that organisations
must embrace - economic,
environmental and social.
In practical terms, triple
bottom line accounting
means expanding the
traditional company
reporting framework to
take into account not
just financial outcomes
but also environmental
and social performance.
John Elkington - Cannibals with Forks:
the Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century
Business (1989)
Sustainable development
in the business
“Focusing solely on the environment did not suffice – did not save lives,
livelihoods, or neighbourhoods. We needed to fight for a larger kind
of sustainability: one that took into account our social, economic, and
cultural sustainability, as well as our ecological surroundings.
I could not just be an environmentalist. I had to think more
comprehensively. ...Then the second big idea hit me: the corporate
sector has the incentives, operational know-how, scalability, and
ingenuity to respond to the global challenges we face today,
challenges on all four fronts – social, economic, environmental and
cultural.”
– From Adam Werbach’s Strategy for Sustainability: A Business Manifesto (2009).
Sustainability is about balancing the ecology, economy and society.
Sustainability in organisations is not only about environmental responsibility,
but also has to contribute to economic and social development. A business
that focuses on efficient use of energy, waste and water, also makes financial
sense, and can increase cost savings over the short and long-term that have
an immediate effect on their financial bottom line.
Sustainability principles can make your business more resilient to internal
and external factors that may impact on your business operations. Negative
factors to consider are increased energy costs, loss of key staff, changing
weather patterns, new environmental legislation, and changes in consumer
behaviour. Carbon tax is already levied on cars in South Africa, and is being
considered for business.
Triple bottom line
The concept of the triple bottom line (TBL, also known as ‘people, planet and
prosperity’) is an accepted approach to measuring sustainability. ‘People’ and
‘planet’ refer to human and natural capital, while ‘prosperity’ relates to longterm economic benefits.
When considering TBL it is important to look at full-cost accounting;
meaning that the real cost of a company’s inputs and outputs must be
accounted for. It is not just about the direct financial cost of a specific
product, but the full cost relating to that product, including (for instance) the
social impact of child labour, or the environmental cost relating to pollution,
resource depletion, environmental damage or health-related problems.
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ISO 14001 is an environmental management
system pertaining to
the production process
and business operations.
Social
Bearable
Equitable
Sustainable
Environmental
Viable
Economic
The balance to ensure sustainability
Sustainable development is the balance between social, environmental and
economic elements, in order to ensure a bearable, equitable and viable society.
Environmental Management Systems
Your company could select to have a formal
environmental management system (EMS)
such as ISO14001 or EMAS, or you can
decide to have a simplified management
system, which includes your policy, strategy
and action plan. It is advisable to have a
continual improvement process in place based
on the principles of ‘plan, do, check, act’.
ISO 14000 is a family of standards related to environmental management
that exists to help organisations to:
•
minimise how their operations negatively affect the environment
(i.e. cause adverse changes to air, water, or land);
•
comply with applicable laws, regulations, and other environmentally
oriented requirements, and
•
continually improve in the above.
ISO 14000 is similar to ISO 9000 quality management in that both pertain to
the process of how a product is produced, rather than to the product itself.
As with ISO 9000, certification is performed by third-party organisations
rather than being awarded by ISO directly. The ISO 19011 audit standard
applies when auditing for both 9000 and 14000 compliance at once.
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In terms of the
King III Report on
Good Governance,
companies listed
on the JSE must
provide an annual
sustainability report.
Non-listed companies
are also encouraged
to provide such a
report to enhance
transparency and set
benchmarking.
ISO 14001 was first published in 1996 and specifies the actual requirements
for an environmental management system. It applies to those environmental
aspects that the organisation has control and over which it can be expected
to have an influence.
ISO have an easy-to-use checklist for small and medium-sized enterprises
to achieve the benefits of implementing an environmental management
system based on ISO 14001. Working through the checklist format in a
step-by-step manner will enable managers of an organisation to determine
its present environmental performance, and will help them identify areas
for improvement (www.iso.org).
Corporate governance
The King Report addresses Corporate Governance in South Africa and was
updated in 2009 due to proposed changes to the Companies Act, as well as
changes in international governance trends. One of the big changes is in its
applicability, as it now applies to all entities, regardless of their nature, size
or form of incorporation. The governance framework has changed from
‘comply or else’ to ‘apply or explain’.
One of the new key principles in the King III Report is that sustainability
is now the primary moral and economic imperative, and one of the most
important sources of both opportunities and risks for businesses. Nature,
society, and business are interconnected in complex ways that need to be
understood by decision-makers. Incremental changes towards sustainability
are not sufficient – we need a fundamental shift in the way companies and
directors act and organise themselves.
One of the new requirements of the King III Report is the need for an
annual integrated report (see Sustainability Reporting section) that focuses
on the impact of the organisation in the economic, environmental and social
spheres together with the annual financial statements.
Companies are therefore encouraged to consider issues such as:
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•
Energy reduction and efficiency, and alternative clean energy;
•
Reduction in reliance on fossil fuels;
•
Waste reduction or zero waste and internalising the costs of emissions;
•
Reduction in non-renewable resource dependency, or using resources
in a sustainable manner;
•
Seeking ways to achieve the functional integration of the environment
into achieving sustainable development;
•
Developing or contributing towards technologies that reduce adverse
environmental impacts;
•
Understanding the cumulative effect of its businesses with others locally
and globally; and
•
Encouraging public policy-makers to provide financial incentives for
improving environmental performance.
A company should continually seek to improve its environmental performance by:
•
Working to reduce and control its direct negative environmental impacts;
•
Promoting awareness of its significant direct and indirect impacts;
•
Working to use natural resources in a sustainable manner; and
•
Committing to risk reduction, reporting and auditing.
Sustainability reporting
GRI is a sustainabilityreporting framework
that covers the key
areas of economic,
environmental, social
and governance
performance.
The traditional focus of considering only the financial aspects of a business
has been replaced with a broader triple-bottom-line approach, and in a
similar manner the ‘old’ annual report is being replaced by or supplemented
with sustainability or integrated reporting. Other initiatives have also been
established within the business sector to encourage more transparent
reporting, as outlined below.
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a non-profit organisation that promotes
economic, environmental and social sustainability. It provides all companies
and organisations with a comprehensive sustainability-reporting framework
that is widely used around the world. A sustainable global economy should
combine long-term profitability with social justice and environmental care.
This means that, for organisations, sustainability covers the key areas of
economic, environmental, social and governance performance.
GRI’s Sustainability Reporting Framework enables all companies and
organisations to measure and report their sustainability performance.
By reporting transparently and with accountability, organisations can
increase the trust that stakeholders have in them, and in the global economy.
The GRI Guidelines can be downloaded off the Internet at no cost and
provide detailed guidance on specific indicators relating to the triple bottom
line. There are also sector-specific guidelines relating to specific sectors such
as mining, finance, real estate and media.
For more information see www.globalreporting.org
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GHG Protocol is an
international accounting
tool to understand,
quantify, and manage
greenhouse gas
emissions.
Greenhouse Gas Protocol
(GHG Protocol)
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol)
is the most widely-used international accounting
tool for government and business leaders to
understand, quantify, and manage greenhouse
gas emissions. The GHG Protocol, a decadelong partnership between the World Resources
Institute and the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development, is working with businesses, governments, and
environmental groups around the world to build a new generation of
credible and effective programmes for tackling climate change.
It provides the accounting framework for nearly every GHG standard and
programme in the world – from the International Standards Organisation to
The Climate Registry – as well as hundreds of GHG inventories prepared by
individual companies.
The GHG Protocol also offers developing countries an internationallyaccepted management tool, to help their businesses to compete in the
global marketplace, and their governments to make informed decisions
about climate change.
The GHG Protocol Corporate Standard provides standards and guidance for
companies and other organisations preparing a GHG emissions inventory. It
covers the accounting and reporting of the six greenhouse gases covered
by the Kyoto Protocol – carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide
(N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulphur
hexafluoride (SF6).
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For accounting purposes, greenhouse gas emissions are broken into three
categories. The separation of these three scope categories is key to managing
emissions reporting and the calculation of a carbon footprint. Each scope
is described and illustrated on the left.
•
Scope 1: Emissions over which a company has direct control via
ownership of activities;
•
Scope 2: Emissions from purchased electricity, heat or steam; and
•
Scope 3: All indirect emissions that occur as a result of facility or
business activities that use goods or resources with potential greenhouse
gas emissions.
CDP is a global initiative
to collect and distribute
information about
greenhouse gas emissions
and water usage in an
attempt to mitigate
climate change.
The GHG Protocol is generally used in association with other reporting
frameworks as one of the elements that needs to be reported on.
For more information visit www.ghgprotocol.org
Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)
Carbon disclosure project
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) is a global initiative to collect and
distribute high-quality information that motivates investors, corporations
and governments to take action in an attempt to mitigate climate change.
It was founded as an independent not-for-profit organisation. They seek
information annually on the business risks and opportunities presented by
climate change, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water usage data
from the world’s largest companies.
The CDP provides a transformative global system for thousands of companies
and cities around the world to measure, disclose, manage and share
environmental information. Consequently, the CDP remains the global
standard for measurement and reporting of climate change information,
and the biggest repository of GHG emission information from the
business sector.
The South African sample includes the JSE Top 100 listed companies, and
also features a special case study each year on best practice. The type of
information generated by the CDP attracts various stakeholders, including
the media, government, universities, and international and local investors.
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UNGC is an international
initiative for businesses
that are committed to
aligning their operations
and strategies with ten
universally accepted
principles.
Companies are requested to complete annual questionnaires, which are
rated and presented in the ‘Climate Leadership Disclosure Index’.
Some of the information the CDP request is:
•
disclosure of the company’s carbon footprint (additional points are
awarded if verification has taken place);
•
whether climate change is incorporated into the company’s strategy,
and for the highest level of responsibility for climate change within
the company; and
•
to provide insight into the risks and opportunities identified within the
company with regard to climate change.
For more information visit: www.cdproject.net
UN Global Compact (UNGC)
The United National Global Compact (UNGC)
is a strategic policy initiative for businesses
that are committed to aligning their operations
and strategies with ten universally accepted
principles in the areas of human rights, labour,
the environment and anti-corruption. By doing so,
business (as a primary driver of globalisation) can
help ensure that markets, commerce, technology
and finance advance in ways that benefit economies
and societies everywhere.
As social, political and economic challenges (and opportunities) affect business
more than ever before, many companies recognise the need to collaborate
and partner with governments and civil society. Global Compact aims to
mainstream their ten principles and catalyse actions in support of broader UN
goals such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) is another key ingredient
for sustainability. CSR means that a company is responsible for social impacts
related to its business activities. A company can invest in CSR projects or
donate to charities as part of their CSR programme, but it must also take
responsibility for its own production chain. It is about promoting fair labour
practices and safe working conditions. Staff members need to be treated
with respect and have appropriate methods for raising concerns.
Socially Responsible Investment (SRI)
In recognition of the growing importance of responsible and sustainable
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business behaviour, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has for many
years embarked upon programmes that uphold and support sustainable
development. They launched the first Socially Responsible Investment (SRI)
Index in May 2004, recognising the strides listed companies are making in
this regard. Reviews take place annually during the second half of each year,
with results usually announced at the end of November each year.
The JSE has worked for several years on ways to prompt businesses and business
analysts to increase their focus on environmental, social and governance factors.
It is one of the first stock exchanges worldwide to become a signatory to the
United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment, which guide investors
in taking environmental, social and corporate governance issues into account
when investing.
Commitment to
corporate social
responsibility
is another key
ingredient for
sustainability.
The JSE has contributed to the cause of responsible investment through
developing the Socially Responsible Investment Index (SRI Index), which
was launched in 2004 as the first of its kind in an emerging economy. Its
constituents are companies who attain required levels in an annual review
of their policies, practices and reporting.
Social Performance Indicators
The GRI has a range of social performance indicators that could be reported
on. This helps to avoid simply focusing on the economic or environmental
aspects, by including a broad range of social aspects:
Human Rights:
•
Investment and procurement practices;
•
Freedom of Association and collective bargaining;
•
Child labour;
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Security practices.
Labour practice and decent work:
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Occupational Health and Safety;
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Training and education;
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Equal remuneration for men and women.
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Society:
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Corruption;
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Anti-competitive behaviour;
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Legal compliance.
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Resources
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Global Reporting Initiative: www.globalreporting.org
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Greenhouse Gas Protocol: www.ghgprotocol.org
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Carbon Disclosure Project: www.cdproject.net
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United Nations Global Compact: www.unglobalcompact.org
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National Business Initiative: www.nbi.org.za
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King III Corporate Governance Report: www.saica.co.za
Smart office checklist
Process
Do you have your process for greening in place?
Be patient – good things take time.
step 1. Get buy-in: explain to the top management team what you would like to do at
the office, and why it’s important. Focus on benefits for the office and the process that
needs to be followed. Ensure that you get support from different role-players.
Step 2. Do eco-audit: by doing an eco-audit of the office you will get a snapshot
of the current situation there, and a better idea of what you need to focus on.
Step 3. Develop action plan: use the eco-audit to develop an action plan
and environmental policy for your business. It should focus on all of the important
aspects of your business.
Step 4. Make it happen: implement your action plan over time – don’t try to do it all
at once, but do have a strategy to implement different elements over time. Ensure that
your implementation plan is clearly communicated to all staff.
Step 5. Monitor and review: monitor your progress and report on results. It’s a good idea
To re-do the eco-audit at a later stage, so that you can compare results and review your targets.
Your results need to be shared with management, to close the loop.
Go back to Step 1, and repeat the process.
Implementation
Have you established a “green team” for your office?
Have you done an eco-audit to determine you baseline?
Have you determined the high impact areas to address first?
Have you compiled an action plan of what you want to achieve?
Have you compiled an environmental policy for your office?
Have your set targets that you want to achieve?
Have you provided awareness / training for your staff?
Have you compiled an internal communication strategy?
Have your communicated your greening aims with your suppliers
and service providers so that they can also assist you in going green?
Have you established a monitoring system to measure your progress?
Have you determined how you will be reporting on your progress?
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Smart office checklist
Greening practices
At Your Desk
Do you use natural light or ventilation whenever practical?
Do you dress according to the weather instead of using a heater?
Do you switch off the lights and equipment not in use when leaving the office?
Do you have a dedicated container for recycling paper?
In The Bathroom
Do you ensure that taps are closed and report any leaks?
In The Kitchen
Do you switch off the hydroboil over weekends / evenings?
Do you have a twin-bin system for recyclables and waste?
Do you have a separate container for organic waste?
Facility Management Team
Have you replaced all old inefficient lights with energy saving lights?
Do you ensure regular maintenance of all air-conditioning units?
Have you implemented movement sensors for lights in areas
not frequently occupied, such as storerooms or toilets?
Are outdoor lights fitted with daylight sensors, motion detectors or timers?
Can you provide task lighting at desks instead of area lighting?
Is the water temperature for the geyser set at 55 degrees?
Do all showers have water saving showerheads?
Do you ensure gardens are only watered between 10:00 and 16:00?
Does your waste company take away the recycling and composting?
Do you have a strategy for the safe disposal of cfls and batteries?
Do you ensure that energy and water consumption is measured?
It Team
Are the printers set to print double sided by default?
Are computers set for hibernation mode instead of screensavers?
Are employees encouraged to switch off appliances not in use?
Do you have a strategy for the safe disposal of electronic waste?
Procurement Team
Do you give preference to electrical equipment that is energy efficient?
Do you give preference to reusable items instead of disposable items?
Do you give preference to non-toxic chemicals and pesticides?
Do you buy paper that is certified by the fsc?
Do you avoid the procurement of single use bottled water?
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