What is the environmental or social position of your organisation at present? How could you respond to the challenges of the future?

By choosing to operate in a more environmentally and socially responsible way you can:

q       Offer products or services with integrity

q       Avoid waste and pollution

q       Save money through efficiencies

q       Improve your organisations image

q       Support other businesses that are ‘doing the right thing’ (e.g. operating their own environmental or social programmes)

q       Offer your staff a better work environment

q       Develop respectful and supportive relationships with suppliers

q       Avoid supporting socially unacceptable organisations (e.g. child labour, exploitation of resources and cultures, cruelty to animals, promotion of alcohol, gambling, pornography or cigarettes etc).

The best way for any organisation to respond to these is through the formation of a series of rules, values or policies. You can develop any number of policies; in this case we recommend you consider developing an overarching Sustainability Policy with a Purchasing Policy, which sits under this.

Before you decide on your policy framework make sure you understand

Why Green your Office (e.g. What is at stake? What is legally required?)

The Business Case (e.g. What are the costs and benefits?  What are others doing? - What standards could you achieve?)

Communicate the policies and plans internally and make sure staff are aware of the responsibilities they hold prior to informing stakeholders, customers and the community.

Continuously monitor and review your policies, plans and performance in the light of the new information on legislation, advances in science, market changes etc.