Changing the way we work

According to a survey by Groundwork, an environmental regeneration charity, 89 per cent of voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations would like to be 'greener' and 77 per cent say they need help to achieve this goal. To that end, Every Action Counts, an initiative that aims to support 14,000 community groups in England to be more environmentally sustainable, has published "Changing the way we work", a 40-page booklet of information to help VCS groups reduce their environmental impact.

Mark Walton, Head of the Every Action Counts Programme, says the guide is designed to help community groups:

"Save energy - reduce your energy bills and have a positive impact on climate change at the same time.

Travel wisely - travel in ways which save fuel, help colleagues get to know each other and which reduce carbon dioxide emissions from cars and mini-buses.

Shop ethically - use your shopping choices to buy local food which cuts transport pollution, supports local businesses and buy fairly traded goods to help producers overseas.

Save resources - by saving waste and water you can save money for your organisation as well as help protect the environment.

Care for your area - take an interest in your local environment, help protect local wildlife and have your say on local plans affecting your area."

The booklet tackles each of these five areas, but only after an unnecessarily lengthy introduction: it is not until the tenth page that the advice begins to flow! The first quarter of the book is dedicated to outlining reasons to care about the environment and explaining the need to act locally and think globally. Of course, these are both entirely fair and essential points to make, but the issue is a bit belaboured, since anyone who searches out the booklet will do so with the express purpose of making his or her office greener. It's a bit like preaching to the choir.

Once this unnecessary self-justification is out of the way, however, the booklet is full of useful information to help CVS groups improve (or initiate!) their environmental policies. The advice on how to begin the greening process is very thorough, with specific suggestions on how to get every member of staff involved and how to keep it fun and interesting. One suggestion is to organise a lunch-hour eco-quiz (with Fair Trade prizes, of course).

Each section is preceded by facts and figures to reinforce the need to adopt the changes that are suggested. Bearing in mind that "VCS organisations vary enormously in shape and size", most of the suggestions are general in nature. (To make sure they are shopping ethically, groups are advised: "Review your current purchasing.") However, the booklet does offer some specific tips, such as making sure the heating is set no higher than 21 ° C. All the sections include 'Key Action Points' outlining steps to take 'Now, Soon and Later' and a list of organisations to contact for more specific help and advice.

Clearly, effort has gone into making the guide attractive and engaging: it contains many large colour photographs (although a couple of these suffer from a lack of context) and the large print is easy to read. Text boxes emphasize key points, share success stories and highlight interesting facts, which also effectively break up the pages.

The booklet concludes with a section on 'moving forward' and a reminder that real environmental improvement takes dedication and continual hard work. It offers suggestions on where groups can turn to in the future to fulfill their "varying information needs". The concluding suggestions highlight the fact that just doing something small, like reading a booklet, will not, in itself, save the environment. There's a lot of work to be done!

Get started by downloading a copy of "Changing the way we work"