Local Agency M
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BUILDING
GREENER
B U S INE S S
There are compelling reasons to make your office environmentally friendly, the least of which is the bottom line.
June
This product is printed with the environment in mind. Please visit www.kwdoggett.com.au and look for these logos to find out more.
2010
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
NATIONAL OFFICE D i s t R i bu t i o n P RIN C I P A L ( S )
L i s t 89 Hoddle Street Richmond VIC 3121 Phone : 1800 032 332 Fax : 03 9419 7360
M ARKETING
marketing@firstnational.com.au www.fngateway.com.au
OT H ER
A D M IN
This document is to be used by First National Real Estate members only. It is not to be recreated for sales or public purposes.
1 B U I L D I N G
A
G R E E N E R
B U S I N E S S
CONTENTS I N T RO DUCTION
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I T PAYS TO C ARE
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E F F I C I ENT RESOURCE USE
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W H AT I C AN DO
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• • • • • • •
Lighting, Heating and cooling Office Equipment Recycling Water Involve Staff Local Engagement Improve Purchasing
M E A S U RE AND REPORT
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E C O L OGIC AL FOOTPRINT
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• • • • • • • •
Building Energy and water Food expenditure travel to and from work travel while at work consumable items recycling Next steps - ecological footprint calculator
E N V I RONMENTAL REPORTING
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S U M M ARY
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S O U R CES
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2 I N T R O D U C T I O N
There are some compelling reasons to make your office resource efficient and environmentally friendly – the least of which is the bottom line. Every day, decisions are made that impact heavily on our environment. By making basic behavioural changes within your office we can start being part of the solution, instead of part of the problem. Our actions at the office, from what we recycle to which lights we turn off and when, might seem like small gestures, but when we multiply that by the number offices in the First National network, we have a very large environmental footprint. In this document, we discuss ways you can help make your office more sustainable. Whether your office is small or large, there are many things that you can do to green your space and make a difference. By taking a closer look at your office procedures, identifying possible improvements and implementing and communicating changes, you and your co-workers can significantly reduce your office’s impact on the environment.
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First National estate agencies are dependent on the natural environment for paper, energy, water as well as food and pest control. If we do not start operating in a sustainable fashion, these things that we take for granted today will cease to be available or will become much more costly in the near future. So it makes good business sense to adopt behaviours that are more sustainable. Adopting a Green Office Programme will enable your office to significantly reduce costs associated with resource consumption, improve process efficiency and improve your reputation.
FACT
According to a 2001 study, 35 per cent of office energy is expended on lighting, 20 per cent on heating, cooling and ventilation and 20 per cent on office equipment. Improvements in energy efficiency have the potential to reduce the consumption, and costs, of power in your office.
Businesses that adopt sustainable practices in line with environmental and social issues derive enormous marketing benefits from positive media coverage and improved community perceptions. Better office air provides for healthier and more productive staff. Improvements to air quality in your office will significantly reduce staff absenteeism, commonly associated with ‘sick building syndrome’ and the ability of staff to concentrate will increase as ambient carbon dioxide levels decrease. Being part of the solution is rewarding, fun and can emphasise yet another point of difference within your estate agency.
4 E fficient
R esource
U se
The keys to efficient resource use are the three R’s of waste management: The Internet :
A world-wide network of millions of
computers connected to facilitates
Reduce: communication and Reduce wherever possible, it is best to reduce materials (such as paper), energy and water consumption. sharing of information. Re u s e : Also known as If a product or material still has value in its existing form, every effort should be made to reuse it. Every The Net and opportunity should be identified to purchase only reusable materials, products and equipment. “information highway”.
Re c y c l e : Recycle all materials that cannot be reused in their existing form. Never put in general waste anything that can be recycled.
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G E N E R A L OFFICE BEHAVIOURS: B eve r a g e s : Use your own mug – not environmentally unfriendly take away polystyrene cups.
FACT
Over its life of about 3000 uses, a mug is associated with 30 times less solid waste and 60 times less air pollution than the equivalent drinks in disposable cardboard cups.
Stationery: Use long-life refillable pencils and pens made from recycled plastic, paper or timber or from fully biodegradable bioplastic. Use recycled or eco-friendlier materials where possible. Reuse elastic bands, paper clips, envelopes and wrapping materials.
FACT
More than 140 million pens are bought in Australia each year, generating around 700 tonnes of unnecessary plastic waste in landfill annually.
P ap e r : Purchase recycled paper – there’s no real difference to virgin paper and recycled paper uses up to 90 per cent less water and half the energy required to make paper from virgin timber. Where possible, use both sides of the paper when printing or photocopying – pre-set printers and copiers to print doublesided. Encourage staff to read electronic documents rather than printing them off and have a paper recycling box nearby.
FACT
Paper makes up 70 per cent of a typical office’s waste. Each Australian worker uses about 10,000 sheets of A4 paper each year – that’s the same as is produced from pulping a full grown tree.
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The Internet : Pr i n t e r C a r tridges: Reuse printer cartridges where the refiller or remanufacturer offers a written Aguarantee against world-wide network equipment damage and downtime caused by their products. When replacing a printer or copier, buy of millions of one with a long-lasting print drum that requires only toner refills. computers connected to facilitates
FACT
communication and
Reusing a printer cartridge will cut waste and result in cost savings of up to 90 per cent on the sharingcartridges of information. cost of a new cartridge. More than 1,500 tonnes of environmentally unfriendly are dumped in Australian landfill each year. Also known as The Net and “information highway�.
D re s s fo r t he weather : By dressing appropriately, you can reduce your reliance on heating and air conditioning systems for personal comfort.
O n ly u s e i t if you need it: If you are able to manually control air conditioning in your work area, only use it when absolutely necessary. For example, in Perth, heating is generally only required first thing in the morning on cold days. If you notice your office is getting stuffy in winter, turn the air conditioning off.
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Lighting, H eating and Cooling U s e n a t u re ’s gifts: Use daylight wherever possible to reduce the reliance on turning on lights, or using them at full power, when dimmer switches are available. Maximise natural ventilation and open windows, where possible, instead of using air-conditioners.
FACT
Most air-conditioning systems provide less than 10 per cent fresh air.
R e g u l a r ly c l ean: Clean dirty lamps and fittings to enable you to maximise your lighting efficiency. Clean globes and fittings cast more light than dirty ones, enabling you to get the same amount of light from fewer lamps. Lamps generally require cleaning every six to twelve months, depending on the area in which they are installed.
Tu r n o f f t h e lights: If there are areas in your workspace that are often unoccupied (such as meeting rooms, kitchens and toilets), make it a habit to turn off lights when they are vacant. Put stickers on switches in these areas to remind people. Make sure all lights in your work area are switched off at the end of the day. If possible, install sensor-movement lighting so they automatically turn off when there is no movement detected after a certain period of time.
U p d a t e a n d modernise: Replace old-style globes (incandescent lights) in your work area, with compact fluorescent tubes – they use less than one quarter of the energy of a conventional globe and last around 10 times longer.
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Office E quipment S w i t c h e q u i pment off: It is essential office equipment is turned off when it is not in use. Switch off your computer monitor if you are going to be away from your desk for more than 20 minutes. Monitors use most of the power so make sure you switch off the computer before you go home. Appoint a staff member to be responsible for turning off all shared equipment at the end of each day.
FACT
One computer left on in full power mode 24/7 for one year can result in more than 700 kg of CO2 being released into the atmosphere – that’s more than 1kg for every 12 operating hours. Sleep mode can reduce a computer’s electricity consumption by up to 5 per cent of full power and switching it off will reduce its electricity use to less than 250 kw per year, compared to 1,000 kw a year when left on.
U s e s t a n d - by or sleep modes: Most modern equipment is fitted with a stand-by mode that can be pre-set to a time that suits the needs of the workers in your office. A typical printer in stand-by mode will consume only 10 per cent of the energy of one left on all the time. Activate the sleep mode when your computer won’t be in use for some time. Pu rc h a s e ‘ g reen’ office equipment: Purchasing energy efficient office equipment generally doesn’t cost extra and will provide significant savings for the business over the life of the machine. The following aspects should be considered when purchasing any new equipment for the office: • All new equipment should feature Energy Star 1 power saving options • Energy Star 1 features should be enabled on the equipment by the supplier prior to, or at the point of delivery • All equipment rated under the Appliance Star 2 labelling scheme should be rated 3 stars or better.
FACT
Office machines are one of the major creators of heat in the office. Energy efficient office machines can reduce emissions from air-conditioning by as much as 30 per cent by reducing the need for cooling.
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RE C Y C L I N G G e n e r a l R e cycling: Together with significant amounts of waste paper, a whole range of other materials and equipment can be recycled, including: • Cardboard • Glass bottles and jars • Plastic containers • Aluminium and steel cans • Milk and juice cartons • Old furniture Where possible, segregate wastes - this will aid recycling and provide an indication of why waste is forming.
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WAT E R
Remember a golden rule of water use: Don’t spend money like water, spend water like money. Fix Leaks: If you notice a leaking toilet, pipe or tap, please report it immediately as this has the potential to save many thousands of litres of water, and associated costs, each year.
FACT
A single leaking toilet in your office will add an average 34,000 litres per annum to water consumption, even if the toilet is never flushed. A leaking sink tap will add an average 13,500 litres per annum or $100 a year.
R e p l a c e i n e fficient appliances: If you use a dishwasher in your office kitchen, please use it only when it has been fully stacked, and use on the shortest cycle available. When purchasing a new dishwasher, why not look into buying one that filters and recirculates water. You’ll use roughly one-third the water, half the detergent, and one-third the electricity of conventional models. Re p l a c e i n e fficient fixtures: Water efficient fixtures serve to decrease your water and energy consumption, taking less water and less heating energy to do the same job. Examples of water efficient fixtures that might work in your office include: • Single lever mixer taps – minimise wastage by pre-selecting the hot-cold ratio, thereby reducing the time needed to run water while you correct the temperature. • Flow restrictors – attached to mixer taps and showerheads, these fixtures reduce water flow from 15-20 litres per minute to 6 litres per minute. • Dual flush and ultra low flow toilet cisterns and waterless urinals – when replacing old toilets and urinals ensure new fixtures are installed to maximise water efficiency. I n t ro d u c e n ew policies: Have your cleaners use dry methods, such as brooms, vacuum cleaners or compressed air jets, when cleaning, rather than wet techniques such as mops.
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I N VO LV E S TAFF Many organisations that have adopted more sustainable business practices, have found that it is the creativity and enthusiasm of staff that can bring life to local initiatives. Here are some tips for getting staff involved: • Set up a suggestion box • Acknowledge those who contribute • Adopt a more comprehensive strategy like quality circles – teams of workers who get together to discuss ways to improve processes
L O C A L E N GAGEMENT Support local groups engaged in practical environmental efforts like planting trees, rehabilitating public open spaces, running opportunity shops, recycling rubbish and promoting renewable energy. First National supports the efforts of Greening Australia. Should you wish to make a donation, ask your Member Services Manager for a donation form.
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I M P ROV E P URCHASING By improving your purchasing, your resource use and waste output will be reduced. Buying recycled materials can reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. Green purchasing includes the acquisition of recycled content products, environmentally preferable products and services, bio-based products, energy - and water - efficient products, alternate fuel vehicles, products using renewable energy, and alternatives to hazardous or toxic chemicals.
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Ti p s t o i m p rove purchasing include: • Purchase recycled materials where possible, if you do not ‘buy recycled’, you are not recycling. • Give preference to products that are designed for long life, are reusable or recyclable, and are made and packaged with minimal materials. • Avoid buying new products or services, which will increase the environmental impact of your business.
T h e fo l l ow i ng provides a checklist to consider when purchasing your office m a t e r i a l s a nd products: • Is it essential to buy the product? Can it be leased or rented? • Is the product made using mainly recycled or raw (not processed) materials? • Does production or extraction of the product cause environmental damage, such as loss of habitats or pollution? • Are there alternatives available to the product you intend to purchase that will do the same job but create less damage? • Is the packaging made from recycled materials? • Is the item easily upgraded? • Can the product be re-used, refilled, recharged or reconditioned to extend its life? • Can the product be recycled through a local recycling programme? • If the product draws on power supplies, is it the most energy efficient option? • Is the product or its components toxic or otherwise hazardous? Does it come with an MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)? Are there any less toxic alternatives available? • Is the product accredited with a recognised environmental standard? • Does the supplier have an environmental management system to maximise the sustainability of their product/s? • Is the product manufactured and/or supplied locally? • Can product packaging be reduced or eliminated?
14 M E A S U R E
A N D
R E P O R T
Reporting on your environmental performance is a crucial part of creating a sustainable business culture. The real value of publicly reporting your environmental performance comes from the discipline of developing appropriate benchmarks for measurement and improvement. By measuring the rate at which resources are consumed and waste produced, you will be able to manage improvement in your business, particularly increasing efficiency and reducing waste as well as proving it. When measuring, ensure you measure and track your usage rates for energy, water and paper/ promotional material. Data sheets should be maintained and easily accessible to accurately and effectively record energy and resources used and wastes produced. It is important to be consistent when taking and recording measurements so that regular reports for major resource consumables including water, paper and energy can be made. Consumption should always be reported on a per unit production basis, rather than by time.
15 M E A S U R E
A N D
R E P O R T
Th e fo l l ow i ng diagram illustrates the three phase/eight-step process to do t h i s :
PLAN 1. Work out why you want to have a public environmental report (PER). 2. Identify key stakeholders eg staff, community.
MEASURE 3. Identify what you want to measure. 4. Develop environmental indicators (EPI). 5. Set agreed objectives and targets. 6. Measure and evaluate.
REPORT AND REVIEW 7. Strengthen communicability. 8. Publish (website), distribute, use and review.
16 E C O L O G I C A L
F O O T P R I N T
An ecological footprint sounds complicated but really just looks at what we consume and converts this to the amount of land needed to supply the resources and assimilate the waste generated. The following checklist provides an indication of the type of information required in determining your ecological footprint. The questions asked require information about the types and amounts of products and resources used in your office, enabling you to consider how many global hectares are required to support the activities of your work place.
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F O O T P R I N T
O F F I C E C H ECKLIST – ECOLOGIC AL FOOTPRINT A. Building The following questions are about the floor space of your office as well as building construction and maintenance. If leasing your office, the leasing agreement will contain some of the information required. 1. 2.
3.
4.
What is the floor area occupied by your office? Include all levels and floor space. How many levels or storeys is the building in total? The Ecological Footprint will be apportioned based on the number of levels occupied by your office choice. Do you have information about any green design features of the building? To answer yes to this question you need to list percentages for the following: Recycled aggregate in concrete Average percentages of extenders in concrete (fly ash or slags) Use of second hand building materials Use of recycled building materials What is the ground area of the base of the building? Include total built area of the building, not just your area. Exclude outside areas – gardens, driveways, etc.
Square metres Number of levels
YES/NO
Square metres
5.
What area outside the building is associated with gardens/driveways/car parking?
Square metres
6.
What is the expected life of the building? Information about the building’s construction may include life expectancy data. If you don’t know, estimate 80 years (the average life expectancy of a building in Australia)
Year(s)
7.
How many employees work in your office?
Full time equivalent staff
B . E n e r g y a nd Water Your electricity, gas and water bills will provide information in KWh, MJ and Litres – units required to complete the questionnaire. You will need to estimate consumption per month for each utility item. 8.
How much electricity does your office use per month?
KwH/month
9.
Does your office purchase energy supplied from renewable sources such as wind or solar, that is Green Power? Enter the percentage as a proportion of your total energy supply.
% of total energy supply
10.
How much natural gas does your office use per month?
MJ/month
11.
How much water does your office use per month?
Litres/month
18 E C O L O G I C A L
F O O T P R I N T
C . Fo o d E x penditure Check with your accounts department or purchasing officer if there are financial codes under which these purchases are recorded - they may be searchable in your office’s financial management system. 12.
Please estimate expenditure on the following:
a.
How much does your office spend on catering and business lunches per month? This includes ordering in food for meetings and going out for company lunches, for example.
b.
How much does your office spend on beer, wine and spirits per month?
c.
How much does your office spend on milk per month?
d.
How much does your office spend on tea, coffee, sugar and biscuits per month?
$/month
D. Tr ave l To and From Work This section asks how people travel to and from the office. Enter the number of return trips per month for all employees using the different modes of transport eg 30 people x 20 return trips per month = 600 return trips. Please exclude travel to and from work by company car as this will be covered later. One way to obtain this information is by regular ‘TravelSmart’ surveys (www.travelsmart.gov.au/ employers/survey01.html). This joint government initiative supports smart choices about different transport options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Alternatively, you could conduct an office survey. Number of return trips per month 13a.
How many staff travel by car (no passengers)?
b.
How many staff travel by car (with passengers)?
c.
How many staff travel by bus?
d.
How many staff travel by rail? (tram/light rail/train)
e.
How many staff travel by motor cycle?
f.
How many staff travel by scooter?
g.
How many staff travel by bicycle/walking?
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F O O T P R I N T
E . Tr ave l W hile At Work How do employees get to and from inspections and meetings for example? Enter the number of return trips for the following modes of transport per month. You might collect this information via a survey during a particular month or track usage through purchasing records of public transport tickets. You will notice that personal use of cars is not included here. 14.
At work, how many return trips are made using the following modes of transport?
a.
Public transport
b.
Taxi
15a.
b.
c.
d.
Does your office own or lease company vehicles (car or motor cycle/scooter?). Include information for fully maintained vehicles i.e. vehicles in a car pool and vehicles provided as part of a salary package. If YES, please complete parts b., c. and d. Which of the following information do you have (select one option) (i) How much your office spends on fuel OR (ii) How far people in your office travel by car or motor cycle/scooter Enter amount spent on fuel per month OR kilometres travelled per month depending on selection for b. (enter details for only one option) Total amount on fuel for the office
Number of return trips each month
YES/NO
$ spent on fuel OR Kms travelled $/month
Km/month Total kilometres travelled for the office Complete the table below. Percentage of ‘Office Use’ refers to the vehicle’s proportion of use in comparison to the other vehicles in the fleet. When adding the percentage use together you Full time equivalent staff should have a total of 100 per cent. For example: 4 small cars may be used for 90 per cent of the travel and 2 large cars for 10 per cent.
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F O O T P R I N T
Ve h i c l e Ty p es Hybrid (electric/1.2 - 1.8litres): A hybrid vehicle combines electric power with fuel (gasoline or petrol) technology to achieve greater efficiency, allowing you to travel further with less fuel input. Small (1.0 - 2.0 litres): Up to 4-cylinder (eg small hatchback) Medium (2.1 - 3.5 litres): 4 to 6-cylinder (eg small to medium sedan) Large (3.6 - 7 litres): greater than 6-cylinder (eg 4-wheel drive, V8 or people mover) Motor cycle Scooter Vehicle type (see list above)
Number of vehicles
% of total office use
Fuel type used
Fuel price per litre
16.
How many kilometres do staff in your office travel by airplane for business purposes each month? Try asking your office travel agent. Alternatively, allocate 750km for each hour of domestic air travel and 1000km for each hour of international air travel.
a.
International Flights
b.
Domestic Flights
Km/year
% of travel with more than driver only
21 E C O L O G I C A L
F O O T P R I N T
F. C o n s u m able Items Check with your accounts department or purchasing officer if there are financial codes under which these purchases are recorded - they may be searchable in your office’s financial management system. 17a. b.
c.
18a.
b. 19.
How much paper manufactured in Australia does your office purchase per month? How much imported paper does your office purchase per month? Check if paper is sourced from overseas by consulting your office’s purchasing officer or specifications on the packaging label. What is the average recycled content across all office paper purchased per month? Consult your office’s purchasing officer or specifications on the packaging label. Provide an average percentage across all paper purchased (Australian and imported). For example: 50 per cent of paper purchased may have a recycled content of 80 per cent and 50 per cent may have no recycled content therefore the average is 40 per cent recycled content. How much does your office spend on printed materials and publications produced on behalf of your organisation per month? This includes printed products that are produced for your office externally, for example an annual report sent out for publishing. It could also include letter box drop cards, newsletters, property magazines etc. What percentage of the printed materials and publications is made from recycled content? Estimate an average percentage. How much does your office spend on subscriptions to publications per month? This includes items such as magazines, newspapers and journals.
Kg/month Kg/month
%
$/month
% $/month
20.
How much does your office spend on computers and printer equipment per month? This includes photocopiers, facsimile machines, printers, computer terminals, screens and other hardware, but not software.
$/month
21.
How much does your office spend on other stationery? This includes items such as pens, staplers, post-its and folders.
$/month
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F O O T P R I N T
G. Recycling These questions ask for information about how much waste is generated by your office in order to measure how much land is required to assimilate this waste. 22a.
What percentage of office paper used in your office is recycled?
%
b.
What percentage of cans and bottles is recycled?
%
c.
What percentage of IT equipment is recycled or reused?
%
d.
What percentage of toner cartridges is recycled or reused? Include all toner cartridges that are recycled for example those used for fax machines, printers and photocopiers.
%
H . N e x t S t eps – Ecological Footprint Calculator Now you have all the necessary information to complete the Ecological Footprint Calculation for your office. There are many sites which have one of these, for example: http://www.thegreenoffice.com/go-green_take-action_carbon-offsetting - so choose the one that best suits you. Once you have used the calculator to obtain your results record them here:
Global Hectares
Soccer Fields
GHA per employee
These figures can then be used to compare performance from quarter to quarter.
23 E N V I R O N M E N T A L
R E P O R T I N G
The following is an example of what should be included when preparing an Environmental Report, based on accepted financial reporting guidelines.
Year
Indicator 1 MJ
Indicator 2 Tonnes
Indicator 3 %
Indicator 4 MJ
Indicator 5 MJ
Indicator 6 $
Last Year Current Year
Indicators: 1. Total energy usage in megajoules 2. Greenhouse Gas emissions associated with energy use in tonnes of CO2 3. Percentage of green power purchased expressed as a percentage 4. Units of energy per FTE (Full Time Equivalent) in megajoules 5. Units of energy per unit of office space in megajoules per square metre 6. Annual cost of green power purchased in dollar terms Actions Undertaken: Report any changes or actions undertaken from the previous year eg. participation in Green/Energy programmes such as Earth Hour, installation of any energy saving equipment (such as sensor lights, etc).
24 E N V I R O N M E N T A L
R E P O R T I N G
Pro c u re m e nt Report any changes to purchasing and/or trading policies by your organisation. Pap e r Year
Indicator 1 (reams)
Indicator 2 (reams)
Indicator 3 (%)
Last Year Current Year
Indicators: 1. Total units of A4 equivalent copy paper used in reams 2. Units of A4 equivalent copy paper used per FTE in reams 3. Percentage of recycled content copy paper purchased Actions Undertaken: Report any changes or actions undertaken from the previous year eg. ongoing reporting to staff of paper usage, switching all printers and copiers to doubled sided, change in policy to use internal emails when possible.
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R E P O R T I N G
G re e n h o u s e Emissions Year
Indicator 1 Tonnes
Indicator 2 Tonnes
Indicator 3 Tonnes
Indicator 4 Tonnes
Indicator 5 Tonnes
Indicator 6 Tonnes
Last Year Current Year
Indicators: 1. Total Greenhouse Gas emissions associated with energy use in Tonnes of CO2 2. Total Greenhouse Gas emissions associated with vehicle fleet in Tonnes of CO2 3. Total Greenhouse Gas emissions associated with air travel in Tonnes of CO2 4. Total Greenhouse Gas emissions associated with waste disposal in Tonnes of CO2 5. Greenhouse Gas emissions offsets purchased in Tonnes of CO2 6. Any other Greenhouse Gas emissions associated with entity activities in Tonnes of CO2
26 E N V I R O N M E N T A L
R E P O R T I N G
Tr a n s p o r t a t ion Year
Indicator 1 GJ
Indicator 2 km
Indicator 3 Tonnes
Indicator 4 km
Indicator 5 %
Indicator 6 km
Indicator 7 GJ
Last Year Current Year
Indicators: 1. Total energy consumption by operational vehicles in gigajoules 2. Total travel associated with entity operations in kilometres 3. Greenhouse Gas emissions associated with operational vehicle in Tonnes of CO2 4. Total distance travelled by aeroplane in kilometres 5. Employees regularly (more than 75 per cent of time) using public transport, cycling and walking to and from work in per cent 6. Travel associated with departmental operations per FTE in kilometres 7. Fuel consumption per FTE in gigajoules Actions Undertaken: Report any changes or actions taken from the previous year eg change to using more fuel efficient cars, participation in Ride to Work day, etc.
27 E N V I R O N M E N T A L
R E P O R T I N G
Wa s t e P ro d uction The following is an example of what should be included when preparing an Environmental Report, based on accepted financial reporting guidelines. Year
Indicator 1 kgs
Indicator 2 kgs/FTE
Indicator 3 %
Indicator 4 Tonnes
Indicator 5 kgs
Last Year Current Year
Indicators: 1. Total units of waste disposed of in kilograms 2. Units of office waste disposed of per FTE in kilograms 3. Recycling rate as a percentage 4. Greenhouse Gas emissions associated with waste disposal in Tonnes of CO2 5. Total units of waste recycled in kilograms Actions Undertaken: Report any changes or actions taken from the previous year eg creating notepads from old letterhead or used paper, biodegradable rubbish bags used in all rubbish bins, etc.
28 E N V I R O N M E N T A L
R E P O R T I N G
Wa t e r C o n s umption Year
Indicator 1 kls
Indicator 2 kls/FTE
Indicator 3 Kls/m2
Last Year Current Year
Report on water consumption based on three key indicators: Indicator 1
Total units of metered water consumed by water source in kilolitres
Indicator 2
Units of metered water consumed in offices per FTE in kilolitres/FTE
Indicator 3
Units of metered water consumed in offices per unit of office area in kilolitres per square metre
Actions Undertaken: Report on any changes or actions undertaken from the previous year eg turning off water fountains at night, installation of smart meters and/or automatic taps, etc.
29 S U M M A R Y
Being green isn’t easy - but then changing our behaviours and attitudes isn’t easy either. By working together and supporting each other as we strive for one sustainable goal, we will achieve what we set out to do - be as green as we can be and set the standard for others to follow. At the most basic level, there are simple acts we can change in our everyday behaviours that will start the ball rolling. But ultimately, it has to come at all levels of our professional lives - from the individual, to the group, to the overall corporation. An important element in driving business change is to ensure the right messages are being communicated so that everyone has the same understanding of what we are trying to do and how we are going about it. We also need to make sure that once we have everyone’s buy in, and we are all working from the same page, we are tracking and monitoring our progress by the same measures. Putting in place a Green Score card means we are all measuring the same things, by the same measurement tools. Reporting on these measurements is where the difference can be made. It quantifies as well as justifies the claims we make and often acts as a motivator and incentive - spurring on even greater actions and ideas. In this document we have provided the necessary tools for First National to become the industry leader in being green - for the benefits of our customers, our business, but most of all - ourselves.
30 S O U R C E S
• True Green @ Work, Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin • State Government of Victoria, Environmental Reporting Requirements • EPA Victoria (www.epa.vic.gov.au) • Green Building Council Australia (www.gbca.com.au) • UWA Facilities Management, Green Office Guide
31 N O T E S
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32 N O T E S
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F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
NATIONAL OFFICE D i s t R i bu t i o n P RIN C I P A L ( S )
L i s t 89 Hoddle Street Richmond VIC 3121 Phone : 1800 032 332 Fax : 03 9419 7360
M ARKETING
marketing@firstnational.com.au www.fngateway.com.au
OT H ER
A D M IN
This document is to be used by First National Real Estate members only. It is not to be recreated for sales or public purposes.
Local Agency M
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BUILDING
GREENER
B U S INE S S
There are compelling reasons to make your office environmentally friendly, the least of which is the bottom line.
June
This product is printed with the environment in mind. Please visit www.kwdoggett.com.au and look for these logos to find out more.
2010