Reduce emissions at work
If you are an employee, ask your employer if you can develop an environmental plan for the office, including by undertaking a workplace audit. Behavioural change and some low cost technology alone can reduce electricity use up to 30%.
If you're a business owner or director, you could:
- Make lighting changes (which can reduce energy costs by up to 50 per cent):
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- Change inefficient lights to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs);
- Reduce or eliminate unnecessary lighting in reception areas, halls and corridors;
- Swap from centralised to local light switches or install light switch sensors; and
- Switch lights off at night and on weekends.
- Use office equipment more efficiently:
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- Turn office equipment off or activate sleep mode at night and on weekends;
- Buy energy efficient equipment and appliances. Calculate savings at www.energystar.gov.au ; and
- Use laptop computers (which use 90% less energy) and LCD monitors.
- Reduce transport-related emissions:
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- Increase your use of teleconference facilities;
- Encourage staff to use public transport by offering a payroll deduction for annual transport tickets;
- Encourage car pooling by providing parking and maintaining a roster; and
- Change car fleets to fuel-efficient cars. Go to greenvehicleguide for car ratings.
Purchase Green electricity. Check out our list of accredited suppliers for more information.
Offset what you can't reduce through Climate Friendly.
Undertake a workplace energy efficiency audit through a consultant or do it yourself through energy audit tools
Look for suppliers that have taken the greenhouse challenge or talk to your suppliers about making the change.
Ask staff to come up with ideas for saving energy. It's a great way to get staff involved.
For more ideas go to http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/education/tips/work.html
