Taking Steps to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Actions You Can Take at the Office

At the office, the first step to a greener environment is to understand where you are right now. The chart at right shows average energy consumption information for office buildings. Your own utility bills and expense records for other items will provide the most accurate information for your current spending on operating costs such as electricity, water, and office supplies. With this data, you can create a starting point and keep track of your improvements and savings.

Many of the same measures that improve your building's energy performance also boost productivity by enhancing the comfort of occupants. For building owners, better management of existing systems can produce immediate savings: better temperature control, use of non-toxic cleaners, and improved indoor air quality can help tenants reduce losses from employee absenteeism due to illness. A comfortable environment can help attract and retain tenants.

For employers, better management of energy use for office equipment and efficient lighting are energy-smart practices that will deliver immediate payback with little or no cost to your business.

Whether you're a building owner looking to find ways to save with your existing systems or improve energy efficiency with a renovation, or a tenant trying to reduce the impact your business has on the environment, everyone wins as waste and inefficiency are reduced with a sustainable approach to business practices.

Building Owners start here
Employers & Employees start here

For Building Owners:

Start with existing standards and guidelines for energy-efficient workplaces. As part of its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, the U.S. Green Building Council offers rating systems for Commercial Interiors and Existing Buildings that directly address energy use in tenant spaces. Click here to visit the LEED website

Once you have a basic understanding of these tools, your next step should be to conduct a comprehensive assessment of your energy and office product use. Any such assessment should be designed to raise energy-use awareness throughout the organization and should also consider sustainable strategies that are less harmful to the environment than your current practices. Forms for data collection can be found at the Energy Information Administration website: click here to find out more...

Tips to help you reduce your carbon footprint at the office:

• Lighting – Install lights sensors so that lights in sporadically used spaces turn off automatically when not in use and replace low efficiency lighting with higher efficiency flourescents.
• HVAC System – Schedule heating and cooling systems to go on during pre-determined hours; let the system run hotter or cooler in off-hours, depending on the season.
  a. Use natural heating and ventilation if possible
  b. Set the temperature a degree or two warmer in the summer and a degree or two cooler in the winter
  c. Clean air filters regularly and have your system tuned annually by a licensed contractor
  d. When it's time to replace your old equipment, choose a high efficiency system
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Reducing, reusing, and recycling at your building helps conserve energy, and reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from resource extraction, manufacturing, and disposal.
  Provide bins for recycling paper, bottles, cans, and cardboard.
  a. Post notices in a common place and/or send them via e-mail rather than printing copies for each tenant
  b. Before printing, edit all documents as thoroughly as possible
  c. Develop memos, letters, and documents in space-efficient formats to reduce page count
  d. Buy or lease printers and fax machines with the capacity for double-sided printing
• Cleaning Supplies
  Switch to products that are non-toxic and buy in bulk to minimize packaging waste.
• The Office Kitchen – Avoid using paper plates and plastic utensils by providing dishes and utensils.

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For Tenants, Employers, and Employees:

It's still a good idea to start with the LEED program information. While the systems were developed for use by design professionals and building owners and managers, becoming familiar with their respective categories and methodology can be helpful. The U.S. D.O.E. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) program also has useful resources for commerical and residential buildings. Click here to visit the EERE website

Obviously, changes to a building's maintenance and operation program will require the cooperation of the building owner. Just remember (and be sure to remind your building owner), actual cost savings from reduced energy use and environmental improvements to workspaces almost always translate into happier tenants and a more marketable commercial space — a win-win for building owners and tenants alike.

With a basic understanding of the LEED rating systems, you can develop a list of energy-saving and product-substitution opportunities; obviously, each organization will have its own list, tailored to its own circumstances.

Tips to help get you started:

• Manage office equipment energy use better
  Office equipment and electronics use energy even when idle or on stand-by. To save energy at work, activate the power management features on your computer and monitor, unplug laptop power cords when not in use and turn off equipment and lights at the end of the day. Consider using a power strip that can be turned off when you're done using your computers, printers, wireless routers and other electronics.
• Lighting
  Replace those incandescent bulbs with compact flourescents. Encourage your building owner to install lights sensors so that lights in sporadically used spaces turn off automatically when not in use
• Look for ENERGY STAR labeled products for the Office
  When buying new products for your office at work or at home, look for ENERGY STAR-qualified office equipment, such as computers, copiers, and printers, in addition to more than 40 product categories, including lighting, heating and cooling equipment and commercial appliances.
• Use less energy for your commute
  Switch to public transportation, carpooling, biking, telecommuting and other innovative ways to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions on your way to and from work.
  
  Encourage your employer to enroll in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA's) Best Workplaces for Commuters and to offer commuter benefits that address limited or expensive parking, reduce traffic congestion, improve employee recruiting and retention and minimize the environmental impacts associated with drive-alone commuting.
  
  If you do drive, find out the fuel efficiency of your vehicle using the Department of Energy (DOE) and EPA fuel economy Web site, and make more environmentally-informed choices when purchasing your next vehicle by using EPA's Green Vehicle Guide.
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
  Recycle office paper, newspapers, beverage containers, electronic equipment and batteries. Reducing, reusing, and recycling in your office helps conserve energy, and reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from resource extraction, manufacturing, and disposal.
  
  Use two-sided printing and copying; buy supplies made with recycled content; and recycle used printer cartridges. For your old electronics, investigate leasing programs to ensure reuse and recycling or donate used equipment to schools or other organizations.
  
  If you're an employer, provide bins for recycling paper, bottles, cans, and cardboard.
  a. Post notices in a common place and/or send them via e-mail rather than printing copies for every employee
  b. Before printing, edit all documents as thoroughly as possible
  c. Develop memos, letters, and documents in space-efficient formats to reduce page count
  d. Buy or lease printers and fax machines with the capacity for double-sided printing
  e. The Office Kitchen – Avoid using paper plates and plastic utensils by providing dishes and utensils
• Cleaning Supplies – Use products that are non-toxic and buy in bulk to minimize packaging.
• Awareness
  Let everyone know that you're making changes to reduce your impact on the environment. If you're an employer, provide information to help employees conserve at home as well as the office, such as mortgage subsidies for energy-efficient homes, fuel efficient vehicle purchasing, composting, and recyling in the community.
• Innovate
  Motivate your employees or colleagues to come up with new ways to save energy!

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