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This category covers a broad range of aspects including transportation alternatives, parking, telecommuting, travel, green lodging, conference planning, indoor air quality, hybrids, office plants.
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International Coastal Cleanup DaySeptember 1, 2010September 25 is International Coastal Cleanup Day. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the day that is dedicated to picking up trash and debris from coastlines and waterways all over the world. Last year, hundreds of thousands of volunteers picked up over a million plastic bags and enough picnic items to host 100,000 people. Last year, our Green Committee in Sacramento partnered with the California Arts Council to draw special attention to the occasion and host an art contest for our employees’ children. It was so successful, that we are doing it again this year. The Ocean Conservancy leads the international effort. Government agencies and non-profit organizations participate by identifying opportunities for volunteers to spend a day cleaning up beaches, lakes, riverbeds, and waterways. In California, our state Coastal Commission has information about events planned around the state and how to join the effort. This is a wonderful opportunity to draw attention to your greening efforts and involve employees in active participating to improve the environment in their communities. The art contest we host gives notice to everyone about the upcoming day and helps teach youth K-12 about the importance of protecting and preserving our natural resources. The art contest theme this year is “Oceans and Wetlands”. In our announcement released the middle of August, we provided a list of websites for parents and older contestants from which to obtain information and inspiration for their artistic creations. We specifically included resources about the Gulf oil spill and environmental clean-up efforts underway: http://www.geoplatform.gov/gulfresponse/ http://www.teachablemoment.org/elementary/oilspill.html http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=home The art will be on display in our building’s cafeteria for a month and an awards ceremony with prizes for the winning entries by age group will be held October 1, in conjunction with California Arts Day. We contacted restaurants and businesses to request meal coupons or gift cards to present as prizes. Last year, we were able to give all contestants a souvenir award for their effort and the winners a classroom pizza party.
Internal greening efforts benefit from frequent opportunities to make employees aware of the threats to our natural resources and the many opportunities throughout the year to take action and make a difference. Visible and positive changes from those efforts spur enthusiasm and confidence to undertake bolder steps in our workplaces to adopt sustainable business practices, knowing they, too, promote sound use of our limited resources and reduce our environmental impact.
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For FedEx "Everything is Connected"August 25, 2010At FedEx, we recognize that our impact is greater than the services we provide. We are committed to being a great place to work, a thoughtful steward of the environment and a caring citizen in the communities where we live and work. We are passionate about sustainably connecting people and places and improving the quality of life around the world. This is how FedEx® introduces itself on the company’s website. This week’s blog began with a conversation I had with Bill Brown, Senior Counsel for FedEx. I met Bill at the 2010 annual meeting of the Conference of Western Attorneys General. I introduced myself as the author of GreenWorksGov and asked him if FedEx had made many changes in their business processes to lower their carbon footprint. I learned that FedEx has taken many significant measures in the last decade to transform its system of services and delivery to fulfill its commitment to be a “thoughtful steward of the environment.” I’m pleased to write about FedEx this week because they are a global force for sustainability around the world, and GreenWorksGov readers hail from nearly every continent.
Bill referred me to Mitch Jackson, Staff Vice-President for Environmental Affairs and Sustainability. Mitch leads FedEx’s sustainability initiatives, which touch on every aspect of the company’s operations. You can read up on their activities by clicking here. FedEx’s website is all you’d expect from a global company plus more. FedEx strives for transparency and its website offers up easy-to-find information on the company’s demonstrated commitment to sustainable business practices. One reason that the information is so easy to find is because sustainability is integral to the mission, values, and performance standards adhered to by FedEx and its employees.
I think it’s important to pay attention to FedEx for at least three reasons. First, they are a company with which most of us do some business; their green practices help us to achieve our goals with respect to factoring the carbon footprint of the materials, packaging, and transportation elements of our operations. FedEx started its sustainability program back in the early part of this decade, now called EarthSmart, a commitment to minimize the company’s impact on the environment. Today, for example, half of FedEx's pickup and delivery vehicles used in the London, U.K. area are electric or alternative fuel vehicles. And in general, FedEx has the industry’s largest fleet of hybrid electric package-delivery trucks. They’re still expanding that fleet, but not just by buying new hybrids. They’ve also learned how to expand the useful lives of some conventional diesel trucks by retrofitting them with hybrid electric drive trains. FedEx collaborated with the Environmental Defense Fund to help engineer the first hybrid commercial trucks in 2005. From the first 18 trucks in the fleet, FedEx now has 329 and there are 1,416 more throughout the US. Company-wide, FedEx has realized a 14% savings in fuel efficiency since 2005.
Second, we can borrow some of their ideas and apply them in our greening practices and educational institution outreach efforts. FedEx has targeted the paper services it provides and increased the percent of Forest Stewardship Council certified paper that the company buys. FedEx has a vision of their potential and their corporate responsibility to lead their industry and beyond into sustainability. On the global front, FedEx is collaborating with the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy on a study due out later this year on the success and risk factors for nations who strive to achieve both environmental sustainability and economic sustainability and the links between them.
Last, we can draw inspiration to reach into our communities by learning what FedEx is doing in service to others and in support of environmental protection. For example, FedEx joined the efforts to protect sea turtle nests and eggs from potential impacts of the Gulf oil spill by donating resources to transport hundreds of nests containing thousands of eggs to Florida’s Atlantic Coast for temporary protection during the hatching season. I think it serves to underscore the commitment to green internal operations when a business supports and encourages its employees to engage in “external” actions to protect the environment and our natural resources. “Everything is Connected”, is an apt title for FedEx’s 2009 annual Global Citizenship Update.
I recommend spending some time learning more about FedEx and studying its successful example. The takeaway for me is that sustainability is elevated to the mission of the company, aligned with its business goals across the enterprise, and viewed as a necessary condition for the company’s success. The message is clear and consistent. FedEx has earned its industry leader ranking. I think the sea turtles are in very good hands.
For its efforts and accomplishments, FedEx is the recipient of numerous awards in 2009 and 2010:
Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America
Boston College-Reputation Institute 2009 CSR Index Top 10 Ranking
Newsweek Greenest Companies Ranking Top 100
EPA Green Power Partnership Printer’s List No. 1 Ranking
Green Grades Office Supply Report Card’s Top Ranking
Flight Safety Foundation’s Honeywell Bendix Trophy for Aviation Safety
2009 W3 Awards’ Gold Award in the business category for its Citizenship Blog at blog.fedex.com
FORTUNE Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For”
And, so far in 2010
The Lindbergh Foundation Corporate Award for Balance 2010 (joining past years’ winners: Patagonia, Google, The Jacoby Group)
The International Charter’s Committed to the Environment Award 2010 (the first transportation company to receive this award)
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Lessons in Green Leadership: Tufts Practices What it TeachesJuly 7, 2010We learn something every day. Since GreenWorksGov debuted in March, I’ve been on a mission to find and highlight resources to help organizations start or advance their greening efforts. In an earlier blog, I wrote about the valuable information available from Eastern Connecticut State University’s Institute for Sustainable Energy Green Campus program. Today, I write to urge you to head to the Office of Sustainability at Tufts University where you can find model business practices, ideas for what you can do and how to do it, and mission and policy statements you can use as templates for your green programs. Even the website is an outstanding example of how to showcase and communicate green program principles and activities to staff and the public alike. Let me give you a brief tour. First, some background on Tufts' sustainability program (which I largely quote and you can read for yourself in the About Us section). Tufts University is located in the greater Boston area and has three campuses. The University has long been a pioneer in campus sustainability. In 1990 Tufts developed the first university environmental policy and launched the international Talloires Declaration, now endorsed by 413 university leaders worldwide.
More than fifteen years later, campus sustainability is now part of the fabric of university life: an electric tractor mows the organic baseball field; water use is down 10% since 1990; students can rent electric and hybrid vehicles as part of a shared vehicle program; dining services offers organic and local foods and buys high efficiency appliances; renewable energy powers a new residence hall (a LEED Gold building, topped with photovoltaic and solar hot water systems); the library hosts a green roof PhD project; recycling is a part of everyday life; and student learning is integrated into these many initiatives through undergraduate and graduate student research, class projects, and internships.
A combination of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and a new electricity contract has reduced Tufts' emissions close to 1990 levels. In 2005, the United States Environmental Protection Agency awarded the prestigious Climate Protection Award to Tufts for its efforts. In short, Tufts knows what it’s talking about.
The website comes fully loaded. Under the About Us tab you can find general background info and the mission statement. There is a FAQ’s tab aimed at students and staff with quick facts and answers to common questions. The Links page is a source for career opportunities in sustainability. The Archives is a virtual library of educational reference materials and recent communications from the Office. I will focus on the Big Two, “Programs” and “Take Action!”.
The Programs tab is where you can learn about specific efforts the university is taking to green its operations and raise awareness among students, faculty, and staff. There are great examples and ideas here for purchasing, paper conservation, energy savings, food services, buildings, water, and transportation. Tufts has an Eco-ambassador program for staff and student volunteers that could be transplanted to an office organization. Eco-Ambassadors attend training sessions to learn about current and past initiatives on campus; energy generation and use on campus; recycling; communicating the 'green' message; and opportunities for greening on campus.
The Take Action! Tab is host to a wide array of steps that contribute toward the university’s sustainability goals. There is the Campaign to Save Paper, a Green Guide, What You Can Do, Ridesharing info, and Recycling options. There is even an Eco-map showing where all the various recycling stations are on campus, where the LEED buildings are located, etc. A great solution to the perennial question, “Where can I recycle this?”
This is one site that you should bookmark on your Favorites list. I am better informed and infused with new ideas just for spending an hour on the site. Summer school at its best, and I plan to return often. GreenWorksGov salutes Tufts for its leadership in sustainable programs and environmental stewardship.
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Office Plants Clean the Air and MoreJune 23, 2010Are the workspaces in your office enlivened with potted plants that enhance the appearance of your office AND purify the air at the same time? Did you know that plants make for happier employees? This was the conclusion of a study that was detailed in the February 2008 issue of HortScience. Dr. Tina Marie Cade, associate professor of horticulture in the department of agriculture at Texas State University, did a survey of workers in Texas and the Midwest and found that plants in an office significantly impact a worker’s positive feelings of job satisfaction by as much as 20%. Read a summary of the report in Science Daily. Also, an environmental scientist who worked for NASA in the 1970’s, Bill Wolverton, has done extensive studies on the effect of plants on air quality. He retired from government service and formed an environmental consulting firm. In 1997, he published a book on how plants purify the air and create healthier environments for people. His advanced approach tackles the problems associated with sick-building syndrome and is being used in a prototype to clean the water and air conditioning systems in buildings using the natural abilities of plants. You can read more about it in the article on NASA’s Spinoff website.
Our local green office committees have held plant sales from time to time. In our Sacramento office, we offered a lunchtime seminar on office plants and their care. I asked the plant lady who comes around periodically to care for the larger shrubbery in our lobby areas if she’d be willing to share her knowledge about plants and which ones are best for cleaning the air in office settings. I caught up with her at a moment when she was happily at work in our office tending to a healthy plant, and she said “yes”. She’s a master gardener from University of California, Davis and she owns her own plant business. I also asked if she’d be willing to sell plants at the seminar at a discount, and she said “yes” to that, too. It was one of the best-attended lunchtime talks we have hosted, and the plants for $10 and $15 apiece flew out the door.
Our committees have held their plant sales either by buying in bulk and reselling onsite at the office, or by growing plants from seeds. It’s an easy way to generate cash for supporting the sales of promotional items, such as reusable bags, compostable garbage bags, books for resale and so on. It’s a double win because the plants improve the aesthetics of the office workspace and do their jobs to make employees feel happier, healthier and more satisfied with their work. What could be better?!
Here’s a website that lists Dr. Wolverton’s Top Ten best plants for cleaning the air. These were on the plant lady’s list, too.
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The Paperless Office--yeah, right!June 16, 2010This week GreenWorksGov introduces a new feature, the guest blog, that will appear from time to time. Our first guest blogger is Cami Feek, Sustainability Officer for the Washington State Office of the Attorney General. Cami also serves as the Director of Office Services and Facilities for Attorney General Rob McKenna.
We have all heard it for years: someday we will have a paperless office! Sure, it sounds simple. However, at the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, we found out that rarely are things as simple as they seem when it comes to eliminating paper. Although we are proud to report we have recognized a 22 percent reduction in paper since 2004, it is clear, we are far from paperless!
How did we get there? Many strategies. Not just one. Over the last several years, we implemented a number of operational changes that all contributed to our paper reduction results. The primary strategy was deploying a double-sided printing program. It seems easy enough. Just print double-sided-- or duplex if you want to get technical. But, double-sided printing isn’t always allowed in the legal world, and just how do you set your default so you don’t have to “switch” for every print job? Or better yet, how do you set the default on the printer itself? For some, just turning on the computer is a technical accomplishment. And, what’s in it for me as an employee anyway?
Our double-sided printing campaign evolved from a strategy in our sustainability plan to a reality in our office over the course of a couple of years. Three keys underscored our success. First, agency leadership adopted a policy that requires all employees to default to double-sided printing, unless they have a business reason that they cannot. In those instances the employee must seek approval from a supervisor to have a single-sided setting as their default. It’s required—and that’s great, but functionally it took more than that to be successful.
The second key was our sustainability liaisons. Every single division of our agency, at every single location, has an appointed sustainability liaison whose role it is to implement and support adoption of sustainability efforts in their division. These individuals were critical to assisting others with setting up their printer defaults to meet the requirements of the policy. They also helped to develop FAQ sheets and information to help people transition to duplex printing. And, because these liaisons are members of the individual divisions, they were trusted and could provide the appropriate leadership in their respective teams to get this up and running.
The third and final element of success is peer pressure. Yes, it works! As more and more people convert, more people expect that others do the same.
In addition to double-sided printing, there are other measures that have reduced our paper. The courts in Washington are allowing more electronic filings. Although a great many still require paper, more and more we are seeing the ability to file electronically. While not directly under control, our agency has positioned itself to be able to take advantage of those situations where electronic filings are allowed.
Our agency also elected to eliminate the printing of Employee Earnings Statements. We no longer provide a paper copy to the employees, instead, we direct them to the online site provided to all state employees where they can look up their individual earnings statement, each pay period. These PDF files can also be saved to their computer so they have a history and can print them as needed for proof of income. Not only did this contribute to our paper reduction, but also saved the staff time associated with the sorting and delivery of these statements by location that occurred twice a month.
To augment one of the primary pieces of information on the earning statement that employees like to review quickly, their leave balances, and our IT department created a way to pull that information into our employee directory so employees can look this up quickly without logging into the statewide system that contains the earning statement. This “short cut” to information eliminated a lot of the concern that was expressed when employees learned they would no longer get paper copies of their earning statement.
Most recently our agency implemented Discovery Accelerator, software that will allow us to make our public records process all electronic. Rather than print out and records to combine with existing hard copy documents to provide requestors a paper copy, our agency now scans in the hard copy to merge with electronic records, redacts them online, electronically routes the request documents and ultimately the requestor is provided a CD with responsive, electronic documents. We anticipate that this new method of public disclosure will have an ongoing, positive impact on the use of paper in our office.
Additionally, we continue to expand the capability of online meetings. You may wonder how this would impact paper. The difference we see is that rather than coming to a meeting to be provided printed handouts, the documents provided for meetings and trainings are more likely to be part of the online environment. People look at them on their personal screen, at their desk and are less likely to print them out than if they were to all meet in person to review and discuss them.
Collectively these actions have created success in reducing paper, but, like most government offices, we are far from paperless!
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