Business Green Week Pack 2016 - Go Green

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Contents Foreword Introduction and Sign Up Your Journey Programme Outline Top Tips for Running Events Benefits Day One: Think Global Day Two: Act Local Day Three: Low Impact Day Day Four: Better Travel Day Day Five: Feel Good Friday Year Round Activities Business Green Week Resources Promotional and presentation material templates Draft email Sustainability films Local environmental organisations Energy posters and stickers Local and seasonal food Local walks

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To me, Busines s Green Week just mak es sense. It provid es the perfect opport unity for employers to engage employees in fun, teambuilding activiti es; to connect to the local community and ...

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Why wouldnt bus inesses want to get invo lved? Bristol was th e UKs First European Green Capital - How is your business going to celebrate th our region? is legacy in

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Claire Williams, Freelance Chartered Accountant and Business Consultant

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Plants given to staff in Business Green Week 2015 using recycled bottles, reclaimed compost and environmental messages. Image courtesy of Alec French Architects.

Foreword Bristol’s year as European Green Capital in 2015 was a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on green businesses and green business practices in the region. The Go Green programme has been leading the way in supporting businesses in this endeavour. As we said at the end of 2015, ‘it doesn’t stop here’ and I’m pleased to see that in 2016 the business community is still committed to going green. As a hub for green innovation, the South West is extremely well placed to generate growth in green employment and investment that will help to tackle the challenges highlighted by Paris Climate Change Conference in December 2015. I’m pleased to see Go Green delivering Business Green Week again because it’s a great opportunity to get staff engaged with measures your business is taking to improve sustainability. Providing a week to focus on staff understanding and support for new green initiatives will help to embed long term behaviour change and help your business achieve its sustainability goals. It was fascinating to see what activities individual companies were undertaking during Business Green Week in 2015. At the Go Green business breakfast mid-week I heard about team picnics using locally sourced food, environmental film showings and invited speakers for lunch time talks, chocolate rewards for green good behaviour, plants appearing on people’s desks, outdoor offices and Alder King even turned their building lights green for the week! Judging by what happened in 2015, the week is a great opportunity to have fun, encourage colleagues to get to know each better and feel pride in the organisation for which they work. I recommend that you use the week as a test bed for new ideas and support staff to continue successful initiatives throughout the year. It is impressive to see businesses in the region collaborating to produce a resource that has been so beneficial to their peers. Stride Treglown, DAS Legal, Business West, Low Carbon South West and the Schumacher Institute have graciously shared their experiences through this How-To guide. Business Green Week is your chance to Prove It! I encourage you to take the lead and use the week to demonstrate to your team and your customers that you are taking action to make the region a greener, healthier, and ultimately happier place to live and work, after all that is why Bristol won the European Green Capital award!

Dr Andrew Garrad, was Chairman of the Board of Bristol 2015 Company and founder of renewables consultancy Garrad Hassan, the world’s largest renewable energy consultancy, head-quartered in Bristol (now part of DNV GL) and President of the European Wind Energy Association based in Brussels.

Phil Smith, Managing Director at Business West, with an electric bike.

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I have really en joyed getting involved in environmental awareness cam paigns at DAS over the years. These ha ve ranged from Fa irtrade Fortnight...

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Marcus Hand ford, DAS Senior Assista nce Advisor an d Environment Co mmittee Membe r

What’s it all about?

Who’s it for?

Big Green Week is a week-long annual festival of eco-ideas, art and entertainment. This celebration is unique to Bristol, attracting over 50,000 visitors and gaining national attention.

Anyone! All businesses and organisations can use the ideas in this pack. Whether you are a small business, home worker, community café or a corporate outfit, there is something in here to replicate or adapt to suit you.

Since it began in 2012, several local businesses have been ensuring their employees don’t miss out on the fun by running in-house activities. Using their learning from the past three years, they have collaborated to deliver a pack of tried-and-tested activities to help other organisations develop a successful Business Green Week.

The activities have been designed by businesses for businesses; these organisations understand the practicalities of instigating new practices and share their first-hand experience on creating a stress-free and productive Business Green Week.

These ideas are just starting points and can easily be adapted for any business – big or small. Covering five sustainability themes, you can pick and choose the ones that best suit your specific needs. The challenge is to improve on their ideas and let others know how to do it better!

Why get involved? As you will see in the pack, a Business Green Week is a fantastic way to have fun, motivate employees, enhance your brand, reduce costs and increase revenue. 2015 was a particularly exciting time to get involved as Bristol was crowned the European Green Capital. With all eyes on the city, Bristol-based businesses had an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate just how much innovative green activity the city could develop. This is the fourth Business Green Week to be run in parallel with Bristol’s Big Green Week but this year we want to encourage businesses from across the South West to get involved!

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I’have learnt a lot that I can tak e home and share with my family and friends.”

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Where’s it happening? In your workplace! There will be lots of events on around Bristol but these are ideas for you to implement at your own premises with your staff, using the resources you have available.

When’s it kicking off? Business Green Week will run alongside Bristol’s Big Green Week (11th of June – 19th of June 2016).

SIGN UP! Sign up to Business Green Week here – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/business-green-week2016-tickets-24340232290 This will enable us to know which organisations are taking part so we look out for you on Twitter and other social media. You can also see who else is signed up and perhaps invite businesses in your area to attend your event! Make sure you share your achievements and see what others are doing. Use the hashtag: #businessgreenweek on Twitter to talk about your experiences. You can also share your photos, press releases and other information via: [email protected] 7

SIGN UP!

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Read through this pack to help you plan Business Green Week activities.

3 Select some

activities from our list, or develop your own, relating to one of the five themed days in Business Green Week.

Programme Outline Day

Themes

What’s it about?

One

Think Global

Kick the week off with the big picture and get to grips with the international issues – peak oil, climate change, resource depletion and conservation. How do these impact your operations – and how do you affect them?

Two

Act Local

Your Journey

From discovering your local green spaces to engaging with the community, today’s the day to be neighbourly. Three Low Impact Day

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Undertake your activities!

Share the results of your activities with other businesses on twitter using the hashtag: #businessgreenweek

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Feel Good Friday

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Keep going! There will be a number of suggested activities throughout the year which coincide with city-wide and national environmental and sustainability initiatives.

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Better Travel Day

Fancy a day without parking hassle? Mix things up and explore alternative options for commuting to work. The environment and your bank account will thank you!

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It’s time to think about your impact! Can you reduce your environmental footprint – and improve your bottom line? These ideas for action will reveal quick and easy ways to help you on your way.

or email your photos to: events@gogreen business.co.uk

Celebrate your success by using the Business Green Week branding to tell your stakeholders what you’ve been doing and sharing via your website and social media.

Bring things closer to home and celebrate your local environment. You use it every day – it’s time to give something back!

It’s Friday! Get the weekend off to a good start by having some fun with your employees and help provide a healthy, happy and productive workplace.

What we have really noticed is how m uch others are willing to help when you te ll them what you are d oing. From being loane da green Union Ja ck to fly above our of fice...

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NB: Please ensure that you conduct risk assessments when appropriate for these activities. We want you to stay safe and have fun!

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Sign up to the programme and agree to undertake an activity during Business Green Week, to encourage positive environmental and sustainable practices.

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Benefits

Top tips for running events

Key to Benefits relating to the tables on the following pages Some of the activities in this pack require a bit of organisation, so here are some top tips for running events such as workshops, film screenings or talks: • Find a time that suits your employees. For some of these activities, after work or lunchtime will work well. Others you may want to consider finishing work a bit early or starting late. •

Photography: Jon Craig

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Choose a suitable room/venue. Think about the event – is it informal? Do people need to be able to move around easily? Make sure you have enough chairs, tables etc.

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Once you have found a time and date, publicise well! Put up posters, use your intranet system and send out emails. Make sure you specify why this event will be interesting and relevant to your staff.

Cost benefits – look out for the savings that this activity could make in the long term. Engagement – helps develop employee buy-in to sustainable change. Learning – an opportunity for learning more about the environmental and social issues that Big Green Week explores.

For lunchtime events, invite your staff to bring their lunch along. At other times, you may find a few snacks are an excellent motivator for participation.

Low cost – amazing results with little or no money.

Press opportunity – create a press release to share your Business Green Week engagement with your stakeholders, clients and local media. Don’t forget to take a photo! Socialising – a chance for you and your staff to get to know one another better and do some valuable team building. Strategic – the outcomes from this activity could help you make effective long-term sustainable change. Social media – a great event to share on social media with organisations taking part Business Green Week and your followers.

Decide if you want time for discussion or questions after. This is a good way for attendees to process the information that has been shared and stimulate further interest. Have a few prompts for discussion ready so you can get the conversation flowing!

Photography: Jon Craig

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Day One: Think Global Ideas for Action What’s it all about?

How do we do it?

PAINT THE TOWN GREEN

Perhaps best to get permission first – a good green week doesn’t start with red tape.

Or you could just start with your office. Decorating with a green theme doesn’t just spruce up your office (and some may need it more than others!); it also encourages people to get into the spirit of the week.

But then it’s up to you! You could just use the posters provided in this pack to distinguish each day or create your own – all with reused and recycled materials of course!

Balloons, banners and photos all work well to mark the occasion. Whether it’s your customers or You could even encourage people to bring in a few plants to just your co-workers who are brighten up their desk or workstation. impressed, it’s a great way to distinguish your business as a Big Green Week supporter. GIVE THE GREEN LIGHT

Demonstrate that Business Green We have included a draft email in the resources section that you or Week has support from the top your management team can adapt as appropriate. with a personal message from the MD or CEO. If you draft something together, this could be the time to work on the plan for the week. This can help confirm your management’s commitment to the project, explaining its purpose and outlining the benefits.

WORKS A TREAT

Making your week memorable and encouraging employee engagement, a green gift can kick the week off in sustainable style.

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Involving your s taff in advising on c hange can be a really powerful motiva tor for successful engagement.

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Nina Skubala, Initiative Manag er Business West

TOP TIP Ensure your Business Green Week is ingrained within the company leadership and business ethos by seeking active involvement from the company directors.

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(Don’t worry. Only something small – we’re not talking hybrid cars here).

MOVIE NIGHT (OR LUNCH)

A pack of seeds to grow their own veg, a Bristol pound to support the local economy or a few decadent Fairtrade chocolates will treat your colleagues, as well as open up conversation about green issues. Support your gift with a few supporting facts – how is the Bristol pound helping the local economy? Why should we support Fairtrade? This is a perfect opportunity to link up with a few other participating organisations to buy in bulk and keep costs down!

Some of your staff may be unsure There are loads of options out there but No Impact Man, An about the reasons behind Big Inconvenient Truth, The Age of Stupid or Food Inc. all highlight Green Week. important sustainability issues. See the resources section for a full list. Films are a great way to share some of the key global issues If you are pressed for time, a short TED talk could also work well. in an accessible, inspiring and This is a climate change playlist: TED time-effective way! Find the best place for a screening. Preferably with comfy seats – no-one gets on board with an idea while their legs are asleep. Now you just need the following vital items – a TV or projector and snacks. Invite your staff to bring their own or pop some Fairtrade popcorn!

TOP TIP Provide a budget it needn’t be large, but some resource is important. Get the team to make pledges – these work best when you pledge to someone you care about.”

Set aside some time after the film if you would like to have a discussion about some of the main points. See our top tips for events on page 8 for more advice.

Please see the section for Benefits on page 9 for symbol references. 12

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Day One: Think Global

Day One: Think Global know? Did you

Ideas for Action What’s it all about?

How do we do it?

HEAR FROM AN EXPERT

The first step is fairly vital – get a speaker! There is a list of possible organisations to contact in the resources section.

Invite a guest speaker to give a talk or run a workshop about some of the main global environmental issues. Providing learning opportunities at work can be a great way to raise environmental awareness and inspire your staff to engage with sustainable change.

HOW GREEN ARE WE?

HOW GREEN IS THE OFFICE?

To ensure that the session is relevant and accessible to your business, have a chat with the speaker or facilitator about what you would like to get out of the session. For more advice on how to organise this activity, see our top tips for events.

This is just something to think about, rather than implementing right away.

Check out services like Go Green, ISO 14001 accreditation or the One Planet Living toolkit: One Planet Living

But it’s definitely worth considering, as an internal audit is a great starting point for identifying ways to lower your costs and improve your green credentials.

The process will indicate what improvements will have the most benefit, so all results should be shared with the appropriate decision makers.

Conduct a walk-round energy survey to identify opportunities for saving energy – and money!

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Greening the office works a treat Last year employees at Stride Treglown arrived on the first morning of their Green week to find a bee-friendly plant on their desk. It was great way to kick off the week, transform the office and put a smile on people’s faces on a Monday morning. At lunchtime the plants found a home in the office garden but could have equally made a nice gift to take home!

Decide who should lead on this initiative – perhaps someone with an environmental role or an interest in company efficiency?

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Get ready to make some cost-saving changes! This information pack will help you conduct the survey: Carbon Trust Walk-Around Energy Survey as will guidance from the Go Green workshop on Changing Behaviours to Reduce Energy Consumption. As you are walking around, talk to staff and ask them if there anything that would help them be greener or cut their energy use. Make sure you share your findings with your staff and communicate with key decision- makers. There may be some surprisingly easy changes to make, with serious cost savings!

And the best part – you didn’t even have to pay a consultant to get some initial ideas on how to improve your sustainability!

Last year we handed out Fairtrade chocolates and high-vis jackets for cyc ling. At a small cos t to us, we brightened our employees’days and...

Publicise the competition and give a clear deadline with reminders. Provide an easy submission process, such as your intranet system or a good old-fashioned suggestion box. Assemble a judging panel and detail the winning criteria e.g. biggest carbon reduction, best financial savings, easy to implement. You could invite a guest judge from a local environmental organisation to help you decide. See the resources section for some suggestions. And finally, you’ll need a prize for your winner – entry to a Big Green Week event and the glory of their idea being implemented should be the ticket!

TOP TIP

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Not only does this encourage your co-workers to get involved with some Big Green Week thinking – it will also provide you with a list of actions that already have employee buy-in.

, usin hinner ourt, B Sam S eigh C air L r C e g am h Mana en Te e r G and West

Save a few gifts to hand out as prizes and incentives throughout the week.

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This will be our office’s 4th Green Wee k and what is really exciting is the prospect of sharing ideas and feedback with other companies hold ing a Green Week a t the same time. ..

DAS eco-pledge Departments at DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Ltd make pledges to reduce their carbon emissions and be more environmentally friendly.

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WHO HAS THE BEST CARBONSAVING IDEAS?

n elius, Desig inable Rob D Susta f o d a He lown e Treg Strid


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Day Two: Act Local Ideas for Action What’s it all about?

How do we do it?

A SWAPPING GOOD TIME

Publicise the swapping session – it’s a perfect lunchtime activity. You could edit one of the posters provided in the template section.

Enable your staff to find new homes for unwanted goods, encouraging re-use rather than disposal in landfill. One person’s rubbish and all that…

Set up in advance of the session, in a suitable space. Be warned it can get noisy! Decide if you want any rules, such as swapping one-for-one. If you prefer anarchy, it’s perhaps time to say we take no responsibility for injury, loss or damage incurred… Anything left over can be donated to your charity of choice.

HOST A LOCAL TASTING SESSION

A fun way to get people Find a local supplier who can provide some drinks and snacks from the together to socialise and West of England region. taste some of the delights the West Country has to provide. Make sure you explain the benefits of local food miles! There are some links in the resources section. You could even combine this with a talk and invite (It’s up to you as to whether a local food producer to give a short intro to the session. you include cider). Publicise and find a suitable space for the event, where staff can mingle It’s easy to forget about the and sample the produce. fantastic produce on our doorstep and this could See our event tips on page 8 for more advice. remind people to consider local sourcing in the future.

WHO HAS THE GREENEST LUNCH?

Don’t break out the food dye just yet; this is actually a sociable and competitive way to start talking about the benefits of local food.

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may offer discounts if you are thinking about choosing new preferred suppliers.

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Our swapping e vent was a really fu n way to demonstrat e how easy it is to sa ve things from lan dfill, plus I got a fan tastic new outfit!”

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Start your colleagues off with some ideas e.g. buying locally sourced meat, cheese and bread and explain the benefits (see resources section). Create a way to share photos of lunches with captions about the food and where it’s from – perhaps via your intranet or on a Facebook page. Decide on a judge and make sure you have a prize for the winner. You could just run this for one day or keep it going throughout the week – it depends on how much competition you want to create!

COOKING WITH LOCAL PRODUCE

OUT AND ABOUT – A LUNCHTIME WALK

BE A GOOD NEIGHBOUR

We promise this isn’t a halfbaked idea! A demonstration of quick and easy meals with local food is a fun way to talk about food miles, waste and healthy eating.

A canteen or kitchen, a chef (if you don’t have one on your staff ) and local ingredients. Work out how many spaces are available and let your staff know how to register.

Boosting morale and wellbeing, a walk can also help your co-workers enjoy their local space and learn more about the area.

Plan a route, ensuring that it’s accessible for all of your staff. Do a practice run to highlight any issues and publicise well in advance. If you want to have a good explore, think about having a slightly longer lunch-break for those taking part.

Demonstrate your commitment to Business Green Week and your community by helping out in the local area.

Decide on the best time for your organisation to set aside some volunteering time. If you already have a chosen charity, then you could link up with them. If not, you can either choose the activity or provide your staff with a selection of opportunities. There are good places to start:

As well as achieving something tangible and positive for local people and places, volunteering can also improve staff wellbeing and productivity.

Provide information for people to take away with them. Where can they get these ingredients? What food is available seasonally? How can they make the most of the food they buy? (See page 44 in the resources section).

Interested in local nature or history? Find a volunteer guide who can lead the walk and offer interesting facts. See the resources section for some suggestions. Remind people to dress suitably and remember, just because it’s June doesn’t mean you can get away without a wet weather plan!

Voscur Avon Wildlife Trust Neighbourly Business in the Community Choose someone to project manage – this will include finding the necessary equipment if needed, conducting a risk assessment and coordinating the volunteers.


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Day Two: Act Local

Day Two: Act Local know? Did you


How do we do it?

PICTURE PERFECT

Choose a theme for the competition, such as ‘nature in the city’, ‘green buildings’ or something that reflects your organisation’s priorities.

Engage your budding photographers by running a photography competition and enable them to learn about the variety of green goings-on in the city – raising awareness and having fun.

Invite participants to take the best photo to illustrate this theme. Decide on the rules and how to judge the entries; originality, technique or humour? Set a deadline and use your intranet or social media to share the photos. Assemble a panel of judges and decide on a prize for the winner. This activity could easily be made a press interest with a local celebrity judge! You could display the photos at your workplace and use the opportunity to write a press release to show your engagement with Business Green Week. If you are on Twitter, don’t forget to share your photos with us using the hashtag #businessgreenweek

GET GROWING

Challenge your staff to grow the biggest or best sunflower, chili or tomato plant, learn about biodiversity and enjoy your outdoor space.

Green lunch Enjoying local produce… providing a welcome change from the usual sandwiches in a help-yourself style spread is a good way at bringing employees together and celebrating some delicious local food as Stride Treglown did last year.

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Choose a plant and buy enough seeds for everyone to take part. Information on why biodiversity is important and links to gardening tips will be invaluable for newbies! Set up categories of prizes – tallest plant, largest flower, most beautiful, hottest chili (choose carefully on who judges this one. No-one wants to spend an afternoon filling in a health and safety incident form). Decide how long the competition will run for, sunflowers grown in June can reach full height in 2-3 months. Share photo updates on the plants via Facebook pages or Twitter. It’s easy to make this interactive by using the #businessgreenweek hashtag – see what other organisations are doing!

Bristol is the first city in the UK to launch its own community currency - the Bristol Pound - with the aim of boosting the local economy. With the first city-wide local currency on our doorstep, you have a great opportunity to engage in the scheme, helping to develop a more prosperous and sustainable local economy.

HOW RESILIENT Have you considered how IS YOUR future global-scale changes BUSINESS? will affect your business operations? Local and ethical purchasing can help make your business more sustainable in the longterm and improve resilience to future price shocks.

Speak to Bristol Pound CIC about how the scheme works. [email protected] Their representatives can share information about the currency and how to sign up. If you are a local independent business, have you considered using Business Green Week as the launch for accepting Bristol Pound? Register here: Bristol Pound Make sure you share information about the benefits of local currencies. The Bristol Pound website has lots of information - Learn More and this Short Animation also highlights some of the key points.

Bring together a team of purchasing decision-makers from across your organisation and take a look at the list of items you currently buy. Develop an agreed set of criteria for assessing how sustainable your suppliers and goods are. The Go Green Workshop on sustainable sourcing has some top tips. This can help you ask some relevant questions, such as: •

Not to mention the new friends you’ll make in the West of England!

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Are there alternative products available, which are less environmentally damaging? (for example, fewer chemicals, more recycled content or less packaging) Are there local manufacturers or suppliers of the products you buy? You could also support ethical global supply chains by exploring the Fairtrade options available: Fairtrade for Business

TOP TIP If you decide to embed these considerations in your procurement policy, draw up a press release... ...to let your stakeholders, customers or clients know about your support of local businesses.

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WHAT IS THE BRISTOL POUND?

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Day Three: Low Impact Day Ideas for Action What’s it all about?

How do we do it?

ENERGY SAVING TREATS

This works best when you don’t promote it!

Leaving a treat on the desks of your employees who turned off their equipment is a quick and easy way to encourage awareness of energy use – and reward positive behaviour!

All you’ll need is enough treats (a chocolate is enough!) to reward your energy savers and a noble volunteer (maybe two chocolates for them?) to stay late to check unoccupied desks and offices. Let people talk about why some received a gift and others didn’t. When you reveal why, make sure you have some supporting material to hand to explain the benefits of energy saving. The Carbon Trust’s Better Business Guide to Energy Saving has some useful statistics. You could run this twice during the week and see how many more chocolates are given out the second time!

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WHO IS THE GREENEST OF THEM ALL?

...finding out others ways to cut your energy bill check out the Carbon Trust’s Savings Calculator

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Using the free online tool and attending Go Green events will help you access support and inspiration so you can improve and communicate your green credentials all year round. Create your action plan then join them at their next event!

Create some healthy competition in your workplace and find your carbon-savviest employee.

Use an online measuring tool, such as this Footprint Calculator that surveys your personal carbon emissions. This particular one enables you to sign up to receive tips to reduce your impact.

This can provide you with the opportunity to talk about the realistic changes that can be made at home and work to minimise environmental impact.

Make sure you have information on why carbon emissions need to be reduced and the cost-saving benefits of doing so.

Do you know how much paper you use in a day? How much does this cost? Closing down your printers for a day can highlight the issue of paper consumption and generate ideas for reducing its use – cutting the costs of resource use and waste disposal.

know? u o y id D

If your facilities team or person responsible for energy management is interested in...

Go Green acts as ‘one front door’ to help you access information about all the sustainable business activity in the region.

www.gogreenbusiness.co.uk

HAVE A ‘NO PRINT’ DAY

TOP TIP

Go Green is an initiative to join up businesses and organisations in Bristol and the West of England that are working towards a sustainable future.

Encourage your co-workers to share their results and award prizes for the lowest carbon footprint.

First thing you will need? Plenty of support from management! This activity will also require thorough communication to your staff in the lead up to minimise stress/printers being kicked. Exceptions to the rule may be needed (e.g. urgent letters or client-related work). Create posters to explain why the printers are not in use and the benefits of reducing paper use. To continue this paper saving (we’re talking bank notes here), consider asking your colleagues what would make it easier to choose paperless communication. You could offer training for those who are interested in using the company intranet or other electronic forms of communication. And if you haven’t already done so, set double-sided printing as default!

TURN OUT THE LIGHTS

It can be surprising how much energy our everyday appliances use. And equally shocking as to how much this costs! Turning off the office lights can help stimulate discussion about energy use and highlight opportunities for savings.

Support from management is key here, as is understanding appropriate exemptions – if a room really is too dark, don’t strain your eyes! Use posters to explain why the lights are off and share the cost and environmental benefits. Use a calculator: Sust-it Energy-Calculator to estimate savings for the day – how much does this add up to in a year? Think about how to keep these savings going by keeping signs up asking if the light is really needed. Go Green Prove It member Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology ran a ‘Turn It off’ campaign in 2015 that saved them over £42,000!! Show their inspiring video to your team so they can see what it possible if they work together!


21

Day Three: Low Impact Day

Day Three: Low Impact Day know? Did you


How do we do it?

TURN THE AIR CONDITIONING OFF FOR A DAY

Again, you will need support from management. And there will be exceptions - keeping perishable goods at a certain temperature takes precedence obviously!

If turning the lights off isn’t for you, you can do the same activity with the air con.

single now? A k u o y Did for 24 left on monitor cost day will hours a r £50 a ess ove a busin year.

Use posters to explain why the air con is off and share the cost and environmental benefits. This calculator can help estimate cost savings. Sust-it Energy-Calculator And just in case we get lucky this summer, provide some tips for staying cool in the heat: NHS - Live Well Summer Health Think about how to keep these savings going by asking your employees their thoughts on the optimum temperature for the office.

BUILD A WASTE MOUNTAIN

Invite your staff to share their tips for a green life and show what they do at home.

A bit of forward planning and clever persuasion (or outright bribery) may be required to encourage participation. (Hopefully the incentives jar isn’t empty yet).

A Petcha Kucha format: Pecha Kucha helps use the power of human stories to inspire others to get involved in environmental action.

But this activity is a great way to get to know one another – especially if you schedule time for an open discussion.

ters do

u ny comp How ma e? you hav

Could you get by on daylight alone? This is a good day to test whether you really need that light on or whether it’s just being switched on by habit. Consider using prompts next to switches.

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Source

This is a perfect lunchtime activity; all you need is a comfy space, a projector and maybe a few snacks for the willing partakers!

When it comes to reducing your environmental impact, it can be that the lowest of the low-hanging fruit is reducing your waste.

Identify an appropriate waste stream for this activity – something that can be recycled but is not currently by your organisation. Pick something fairly clean and dry (you want to create a mountain, not a mess) – cardboard boxes or plastic drinking cups work well. Communicate this activity well with reminder emails and clear Building a waste mountain signage about separating waste. At the end of the week, assemble your helps visualize how much you mountain with some volunteers, preferably somewhere prominent that send to landfill every week. isn’t a health and safety hazard...

TOP TIP Check out these links for more support and key information...

If you want to continue to minimise company waste, check out these top tips: Recycle at Work Wrap Business Recycling This had great effect when done in the city centre! One weekend’s worth of litter in our city centre

TOP TIP Make sure you take a photo to do a press release. Local media won’t want to miss out on a pile of rubbish!

Reduce your carbon footprint

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Lots of good th ings came out of the week , but the most productive for us was the low energy day, which resulted in an 8% reduction in electricity us e for that day when compa red against the same day the week before. an offi ce standard for the future .”

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SHOW AND TELL

Try a no-lights day

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Day Four: Better Travel Day Ideas for Action What’s it all about?

How do we do it?

HOST A SUSTAINABLE COMMUTERS’ BREAKFAST

Find a suitable space to run the breakfast and provide plenty of tea, coffee, pastries and other breakfast items – you could see if any local cafes would like to sponsor the event by providing reduced prices on catering.

Sustainable commuting doesn’t just benefit the environment – keeping active boosts wellbeing for your staff and fewer cars reduces the stress on your parking provision! Rewarding those who choose sustainable transport options may inspire others to get involved. It’s surprising what a free pain au chocolat can do…

CELEBRATE CYCLING!

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ENCOURAGE ‘ANYWHERE WORKING’

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Show your employees you trust them – while cutting travel costs and carbon emissions! In the long-term, developing out-of-office working infrastructure can increase your resilience to extreme weather or travel disruption events.

know? Did you

‘

Business West has long encourage d remote working and we found that employees benef ited from feeling trus ted...

Providing support and facilities for the repair of bikes can help encourage new riders and make current cyclists feel more confident on the road.

ONWARD AND UPWARDS – WHAT’S YOUR LONG-TERM JOURNEY?

‘

Your cycling co-workers (budding and experienced) are helping you reduce stress on your parking spaces – show them some love!

at, on ound th f s n a r who Sust ployees m e , e g e nearly avera rk tak o w o t days cycle ny sick a m s a rker in half rage wo e v a e h as t . the UK more Find out ere : sh benefit for Benefits rs e Employ

TOP TIP You could make Commuters’ Breakfasts a regular event to boost sustainable transport use in the long term.

Enjoyed the benefits of these activities? You could use Business Green Week as an opportunity to make a strategic investment in sustainable travel. Making it as easy as possible for staff members to choose low-impact transport options can help continue these business advantages in the long-term.

LOOK AT YOUR LOGISTICS

Sustainable change isn’t about implementing loads of new initiatives – it’s surprisingly easy to make a few ‘green’ changes to your everyday operations.

Publicise well in advance so that it encourages new people to join in and use the opportunity to share some ideas for different modes of transport. There is advice here: Travel West Create a system for your co-workers to demonstrate that they have walked, cycled car-shared or used public transport to get to work. Collect the data for future assessments! All that’s left to do is enjoy breakfast! Invite a Bike Doctor to visit: Life Cycle UK Dr Bike and identify space for them to set up and store bikes. Find more support and advice here: Life Cycle Uk Better by Bike Publicise the session well and create a booking system to ensure smooth time-keeping. Decide what your organisation will cover in terms of costs. This could just be the mechanic’s time or you could pay for small parts and repair costs as a BIG Green Week treat. Provide your staff with login details and the facilities to use your organisation’s networks outside of the office. Offer advice on how to use Skype and other video conferencing technology so that people can be as effective as they usually are. There are more tips for effective flexible working here: Flexible Working Health and Safety concerns? Check out this advice page: HSE - Homeworkers Bring together a project team of decision-makers and budget holders. Explore the options – facilities like showers, drying rooms and bike racks can encourage cycling and walking. Priority parking could also be introduced for car sharing. Support, funding and grants are often available to help your business introduce sustainable travel measures. Check out: Travelwest - Get to work Use a press release to let your stakeholders, customers and clients know about your dedication to sustainable transport!

Consider using a bike courier for the week, check out the Go Green blog on cycle logistics from Velopost. This could be linked up with a supply chain review, as you explore what items could be sourced or delivered locally.

At the end of the week, review the results in terms of cost, efficiency and Trialling sustainable logistics carbon savings. for the week can be a good way to think about appropriate If you are pleased with the outcome, consider continuing to support long-term changes, develop local sustainable logistics providers when appropriate. better local connections and reduce carbon emissions.


25

Day Four: Better Travel Day

Day Four: Better Travel Day know? Did you


How do we do it?

DRIVE SOME SUSTAINABLE CHANGE

Print a map of your commuter area and pin it up in a shared area. Ask everyone to indicate where they commute from (labelling the marker with their name!) and leave their contact details and working patterns.

Encourage your colleagues to save money and reduce emissions by teaming up for a car share. You may also be able to reduce cark park bickering! This could also be implemented for company vehicles, creating significant cost savings for your business.

GREEN YOUR FLEET

Explore electric vehicle options for your company fleet.

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Suggest that staff members link up with those who live near them to see if they can work out a car share. They can work out how much they will save here: Lift Share Savings Calculator Make sure you provide information about the benefits and ins and outs of car sharing: Friends of the Earth - Car Sharing National Car Share Task someone to do some research about the options available. Make sure they have the data on your company vehicles, including mileage and types of journeys.

Electric car Business West has installed an electric car charging point at its premises, which is available for public use. Find out more here: Plug in at Business West for a greener journey

ues tax iss ation on d travel m or f in n e For mor RC - Mileage a M visit: H es c allowan

Or you could think about installing a charge point for electric vehicles at your site: Source West For more important information and advice, check out: Energy Saving Trust - Electric Vehicles Source West Cars of our future, today

TOP TIP Need a bit of help gaining senior management support? Use this factsheet...

know? Did you

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‘

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27

Day Five: Feel Good Friday Ideas for Action What’s it all about? GO FOR GREEN TREASURE HUNT

How do we do it?

Help raise awareness about Agree a time for the event and publicise well. the environmental ‘goings on’ at your business and do some Develop a series of clues that guide your staff towards the valuable team building! environmental features at your workplace. From the person in charge of your Environmental Management System to the Energy Meter, use this hunt to help your co-workers learn about what you already have in place and why this is important. Make sure there’s some information about the environmental measure and a reward at each stop – there’s nothing like a bit of positive reinforcement! And, of course, first team to the end wins the overall prize.

GREEN PUB QUIZ

Engage people with environmental issues in a light-hearted way – and find out who the competitive ones are… If you haven’t already!

y! Get your tive w a c h d u t i i d r o F w r It’s e fun and p m y o p s p g a havin a healthy, h e provid

Pick a time, date and relaxed environment for your quiz (canteen, café or pub). This could be a lunchtime or after-work activity. Make sure you have an entertaining quiz master and a team of helpers to check the marks. You could also team up with another Business Green Week business and compete!

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el kend off to es – and he e. e F : e v e e c the we orkpla Day Fi employ

A set of questions to intrigue, challenge and entertain your staff. Make sure you include some about your own organisation’s environmental activities. Don’t make it too difficult – this is Feel Good Friday after all!

A green week themed prize, such as a local food hamper or some Bristol Pounds will work well. FIGHTING FIT

Hosting a fitness class is a great way to get people moving – boosting endorphins and improving productivity and wellbeing at work.

Invite a qualified trainer/instructor or find someone who can co-ordinate a team game (easier said than done). They may be willing to provide a discount, in order to offer a promotion to your staff. Find a large room or space outside for the activity, plus any required equipment. If the week has gone well, you should have lots of space in your car park!

There are loads of options; yoga, gym classes, boot camp Make sure you have an entertaining quiz master and a team of helpers or a team game (football, to check the marks. You could also team up with another Business Green netball, touch rugby). Week business and compete! If you’ve gone for a team game, see if you can link up with another organization and create some (very) healthy competition. But do remember to do a risk assessment first! GREEN DRINKS

know? Did you

TOP TIP

that S says boost The NH ise can c r e x e regular d, sleep em, moo e t s e s self rgy - a and ene y t li a u q risk of ce the u d e r s well a ession. nd depr a s s e r st

WWF Earth Hour has some good examples of questions in its pub quiz

WWF Earth Hour Pub Quiz

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Don’t get too excited, we don’t mean absinthe!

Decide on a date and time for your event – taking into account everyone’s circumstances e.g. child care and other commitments.

Bring your co-workers together for after work drinks to socialize - enhancing working relationships and relaxing.

Provide some locally-sourced soft and alcoholic drinks and nibbles. Share information about where they are from and why supporting local produce is important.

FIND YOUR By launching a gardening GREEN FINGERS or allotment project, staff can improve their group co-ordination, learn about biodiversity and improve a local green space.

Fancy having a gossip about the first Business Green Week? Partner up with some other participating organisations to see how everyone got on – and help keep costs down! You may be surprised by how easy it is to find a gardening space. See if there is a patch owned by your organisation that could do with sprucing up or ask your staff if anyone has a garden or allotment that they want help with. (You may end up with more offers than you need!). Ask your in-house green-fingered experts if they would like to offer support. There are also some helpful tips here: BBC Gardening You will need some seeds, plants and equipment. But once these have been bought and borrowed, maintenance costs are low and you will benefit from year-round fresh produce! The group could contribute to a blog to keep stakeholders, clients and customers updated with their ‘growing’ success.


29

Day Five: Feel Good Friday

Day Five: Feel Good Friday know? Did you


How do we do it?

YOU’RE HAVING Run a laughter workshop and A LAUGH? help your co-workers relax, improve their wellbeing and have, well, a laugh.

Invite a workshop facilitator to join you. A few links to get you started: Bristol Laughter Workshops Be Mindful

Other options include singing, meditation, mindfulness or even clowning workshops. You could run a quick poll to see what your staff would enjoy.

Set aside some time for a session and ask for feedback from attendees. You may be surprised by how good everyone feels!

Bring your staff together for a Sports Day (or afternoon).

Find a space for the activities to take place – a local playing field or hired sports centre.

It’s a great way to do some valuable team building, get some exercise and enjoy the wellbeing benefits of the great outdoors!

Then it’s down to you to choose your activities – echo your school sports days with (free range!) egg and spoon and three-legged races or go pro with the 500m and hurdles.

Using a space differently

Let people know how to find these classes so they can continue attending if they found it beneficial or think about running a monthly session.

Whether it be using a reception space as an exhibition space, a meeting room for a shared lunch or even an office car park as a temporary lunchtime netball court!

e : Scienc

Source

Focus

Make sure you have a few prizes for the winners and plenty of water for everyone!

TOP TIP

know? u o y id D

Nine To Thrive have lots of free advice on improving workplace wellbeing TOP TIP Bristol-based Happy City provides a free workplace survey to assess your staff’s workplace happiness

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I get involved w ith a whole range of sporting activities at w ork. We have a pers onal trainer who com es each week, I’ve run in our 10k team s and played in a tou ch rugby tournament...

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A tired office garden being replanted with bee and insect friendly plants. Staff were each given a single plant to put in the ground and with some staff supervising a mass-gardening session took place one lunchtime. Check out Avon Wildife Trust’s My Wild City - Do Something Amazing

‘

BE A GOOD SPORT

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Year round activities

Don’t r ? k e e reen W owcase you G s s e Busin e a year! Sh cial o d s e d y o n j ou en vities to onc ronmental a th y e v a H acti It wi envi e g o s t n e i t h v n t o e t r limi mitm e year by P m o c g ongoin roughout th th issues n! e Go Gre

t in r a p g n ki a t r ! o 6 f 1 0 u 2 o y k Thank s Green Wee s e n i s u B

We hope you enjoyed it and please share the photos from the week, either via Twitter #businessgreenweek or email them to [email protected]

You could Go Deep Green and continue some of these activities to help embed sustainability and environmental awareness into your company culture – and maximise your cost savings and green credentials! Or how about running a few Green Competitions to celebrate your employee’s achievements by rewarding those that have taken positive steps to reduce their environmental impact? And don’t forget to look out for opportunities to promote your organisation’s activities through city-wide green competitions and awards.

Look out for the some of the exciting and interesting environmental and socials initiatives and events that happen year-round that can support you to make sustainable change. Make sure you talk about your engagement on social media and look out for good press opportunities! For ideas and inspiration regarding forthcoming organised events please see the Go Green website:

‘

“Bristol’s Busin ess Green Week in 2015 really helped us to raise the profile of su stainability issues a mongst staff at BBC Bristol.

ple ing peo g a g n E h daily ed throug y them it il b a in d susta worke y ll a e sr event good s also a w d an fun”.Peddie, isor, n Adv ctio Emma Produ inable Susta ol Brist BBC

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Attic hosting a tea tasting session at Stride Treglown

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Business Green Week resources Promotional and presentation material templates

Business Green Week templates To make Business Green Week easy and stress-free, we have provided several templates for promoting the initiative in your workplace. These are only suggestions and can be adapted as needed to suit different organisations – or they can be used as inspiration to create your own. Each can be edited to suit specific events on different days and can be printed on A4, A3 or larger if space and printing facilities allow. Feel free to replace to the supplied images with your own photographs. The Business Green Week logo and the ‘Be part of something BIG’ graphic have been created for use on your company website or to create a promotional email header/footer. They can also be displayed on a sign or banner, or applied to other appropriate promotional items.

These templates include: 1. Microsoft Word template: General promotional poster 2.

Microsoft Word templates: Specific event promotional poster. (There are five types – each include the Business Green Week symbol for each of the five days)

3. Microsoft Word templates: Specific event sign-up sheets 4. Microsoft Word template: Programme of events poster 5. Microsoft Powerpoint template: Presentation slides 6. Jpeg format: Business Green Week logo 7. Jpeg format: ‘Be Part Of Something BIG!’ graphic 8. Jpeg format: Think Global, Act Local, Low Impact Day, Better Travel Day and Feel Good Friday icon graphics

Day One

Think Global Big ideas...Big impact. Creating change by collaboration.

Day Two

Act Local Tuesday is about looking at our immediate environment.

Day Three Low Impact Day Wednesday is about using the ‘off’ switch. Day Four

Commuter Challenge Thursday is about ditching the car.

Day Five

Feel Good Friday Friday is about having a good time.

1. General promotional poster (following page) 34

35

2. Microsoft Word: Specific event promotional posters

Act Local event

Low Impact Day event

Event description. Sedipsam harchil luptur, cus. Lenihil laccaborum quam evellor eprepreium nimus, veliqui doluptione adi nihillent libus re sim quae. Ex eatem ut verum velecusandi ulparum nonsequ iatias modit et ut aut perumentis ut ped magnam quidist aut volorro consed quisci officid unduntionem acerit rectatur? Hicipit, et, ne list aliqui assereium faceribustia doluptatat aliqui offictur alitios solupta tiosame aute derorror reni to cus. Im fugia volorep ellecestiae doluptate reperia sim que nos precaes elenimaio bernatio. Genis parcidit eati cum sam ipienda epellamus ipsunti.


Date | Time | Location


Think Global event Date | Time | Location

Better Travel Day event

Feel Good Friday event




36



37

Think Global event

3. Microsoft Word: Specific event sign-up sheets

Date | Time | Location Act Local event

Low Impact Day event

Better Travel Day event

Feel Good Friday event



38



39

Programme of events June xx – xx

40

Day One

Think Global. Big ideas...Big impact. Creating change by collaboration.

Time | Location

EVENT TITLE Event description. Sedipsam harchil luptur, cus. Lenihil laccaborum quam evellor eprepreium nimus,

Time | Location


Time | Location


Time | Location


Day Two

Act Local. Tuesday is about looking at our immediate environment.

Time | Location


Time | Location


Time | Location


Time | Location


Day Three

Low Impact Day. Wednesday is about using the ‘off’ switch.

Time | Location


Time | Location


Time | Location


Time | Location


Day Four

Commuter Challenge. Thursday is about ditching the car.

Time | Location


Time | Location


Time | Location


Time | Location


Day Five

Feel Good Friday. Friday is about having a good time.

Time | Location


Time | Location


Time | Location


Time | Location


4. Microsoft Word: Programme of events poster (previous page) 5. Microsoft Powerpoint: Specific event presentation slides (below)

Example Business Green Week heading • Green Week bullet point one

• Green Week bullet point two

Think Global Sub heading for specific event

Act Local

Low Impact Day

Sub heading for specific event


Better Travel Day

Feel Good Friday!



41

Business Green Week resources Sustainability films signed e d n e ve be activities. a h s e c resour e suggested uit you! e s e h T to s h th t t i i d w e p d l to he ose an o h c d Pick an

Business Green Week resources Draft email

Thanks to the power of the internet you can stream hundreds of free documentaries online – take your pick! Try to pick one that will be relevant to your colleagues – for example, about the sector you work in: Top Documentary Films - Environment Here are a few of our top suggestions:

Good short film WAKE UP, FREAK OUT, THEN GET A GRIP A short animated film about the feedback loops likely to lead to catastrophic climate change. A quick introduction to the global issues we face! Wake Up, Freak Out, Then Get A Grip

Water TAPPED Examines the role of the bottled water industry and its effects on our health, climate change, pollution, and our reliance on oil. Tapped

Dear Colleagues, Dear Colleagues, We are really pleased to be taking part in Business Green Week (11th – 19th June 2016). This initiative is run alongside BIG Green Week, the UK’s festival of eco-ideas, art and entertainment (taking place in Bristol since 2012). During the week you will see that we are hosting several workplace activities. These have been tried-and-tested by other organisations in Bristol and are designed to be fun ways to think about our environmental impact and consider ways to cut costs and reduce carbon emissions. We’d really encourage you to check out the other BIG Green Week activities happening across Bristol as well. If you have any questions, please contact [add relevant contact]

Fairtrade coffee BLACK GOLD BLACK GOLD asks us “to wake up and smell the coffee”. The film traces the tangled trail from the two billion cups of coffee consumed each day back to the coffee farmers who produce the beans. Black Gold

Food FOOD, INC. Food, Inc. examines the costs of putting value and convenience over nutrition and environmental impact. Food, Inc.

Climate Change DISRUPTION An incredible powerful, moving and uplifting 55 min film about the story behind the biggest climate march in history in New York in 2014 and the science that has led to such passionate show of numbers. Disruption

Energy SWITCH A huge selection of short films about energy and more details about the feature film, Switch. Switch

42

43

Business Green Week resources Local environmental organisations

Business Green Week resources Energy posters and stickers (The Carbon Trust)

If you want to hear from an expert or invite someone to help you judge a competition, check out Bristol City Council’s list of voluntary and community organisations

Just download, print and stick around your office! All are available on this website - Carbon Trust - employee awareness and office energy efficiency

And a few more for good measure: Or the individual links are: Business in the Community Business in the Community works to shape a new contract between business and society, in order to secure a fairer society and a more sustainable future. Centre for Sustainable Energy An independent organisation that helps people and organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors meet the twin challenges of rising energy costs and climate change. Forum for the Future An independent non-profit working globally with business, government and other organisations to solve complex sustainability challenges. Happy City Initiative A community interest company that works to demonstrate that being happier needn’t cost the earth.

• • • • • • • • • • •

Employee awareness poster - Lighting (PFL306) Employee awareness poster - Heating (PFL307) Employee awareness poster - Refrigeration (PFL308) Employee awareness poster - Computer (PFL309) Employee awareness poster - Photocopier (PFL310) Employee awareness poster - Air conditioning (PFL311) Employee awareness poster - Compressed air (PFL312)

Energy saving stickers (A4, 21 per sheet) Energy saving stickers (A4, 21 per sheet) - with gridlines Energy saving stickers (Letter, 30 per sheet) Energy saving stickers (Letter, 30 per sheet) - with gridlines

Stickers are designed to be compatible with standard label sizes, these include: Low Carbon South West Low Carbon South West is a membership organisation working to support the growth of the low carbon and environmental sector in the South West of England.

21 per sheet: J8160, J8560, L7060, L7160, L7160CL, L7560 30 per sheet: 15160, 15660, 18160, 18660, 5160, 5260, 5520, 5630, 5660, 5960, 8160, 8250, 8460, 8660

Resource Futures Resource Futures is an independent environmental consultancy business, with a vision for a circular economy in which resources are used and re-used efficiently and effectively, minimising the impact of consumption and production on the environment. The Schumacher Institute An independent ‘think-and-do’ tank that examines and tackles causes of social and environmental injustice. Sustain A leading sustainability company delivering tangible results via carbon, energy, water and waste efficiencies. Transition Bristol A not-for-profit company working to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and to promote sustainability. Go Green Launched to coincide with Bristol’s year as European Green Capital, Go Green is a brand new scheme supporting businesses, charities and organisations of all shapes and sizes to improve and communicate their green credentials. Take a look at previous expert speakers from Go Green events and invite them along. There may be Go Green or Bristol Green Capital Partnership members that you could invite to speak, or take a look at the Bristol 2015 website for inspiration from last year

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Business Green Week resources Local and seasonal food

Business Green Week resources Local walks

Help your co-workers understand the importance of exploring local and seasonal food.

Fancy taking a walk with your colleagues and learning more about your local area? Check out these links:

LOCAL: Old City Walk (includes a map): Bristol - Old City Heritage Trail Poster - 10 Reasons to Eat Local Food Led Health Walks: Bristol City Council - Led Health Walks Activities on local food - Practical Action - Seasonal Foods What is Slow Food? - Slow Food UK

Urban Walking Route Planner - This tool generates a route map between any two points, including details on journey time, calorie burn, step count and carbon saving. It’s quick, free, healthy and green: Walkit.com Maps for walks across Bristol: Bristol Walking Routes

SEASONAL: Information: Eat the Seasons Interactive tool: Eat Seasonably Video clip: Eat Seasonably - Enjoy fresh fruit and veg at its seasonal best

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Contact

Go Green | 0117 945 8733 | [email protected] Sign-up to Business Green Week

https://business-green-week-2016.eventbrite.co.uk Twitter

#businessgreenweek Contributors Business West Low Carbon South West Stride Treglown Red and Orange The Schumacher Institute

Nina Skubala and Rob Emony and Andy Grey Jessica Ferrow and Amy Nicholass Rob Delius and Nick Harrison Clive Tanner (design) Emmelie Brownlee (copywriting)

Design: Red and Orange (a division of Stride Treglown). May 2015

2016 Sponsor