GHG Reduction Workbook

Table of Contents

I.GHG Inventory Summary......

II. Idea Prioritization Guidance......

III. ‘Low Hanging Fruit’ Greenhouse Gas Reduction Opportunities for Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises

IV. Further GHG Reduction Ideas: Recording Template......

V. Setting GHG Reduction Targets......

“I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones.”

John Cage (1912 – 1992)

I.GHG Inventory Summary

Your business’/organization’s total GHG emissions:

Your biggest sources of emissions:

II. Idea Prioritization Guidance

The following is provided for reference when ranking ideas:

A = ‘Just Do It’

B = Further assessment to be done

C = Not a good use of time and resources

“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.” John Steinbeck (1902 - 1968)

III. ‘Low Hanging Fruit’ Greenhouse Gas Reduction Opportunities for Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises

The following are provided as possible GHG reduction ideas for you to consider in, or related to, your own operations.

Transportation

Opportunity description / Cost / Priority
(A/B/C) / Notes
Improve the efficiency of transporting your goods to consumers (discounts on bulk shipping, optimize delivery logistics…) / Low
Implement corporate policy to avoid idling of vehicles when stopped / Low
Preferentially source from local/ regional suppliers whenever possible / Low
Minimize the amount of food / materials air freighted / Low
Purchase offsets for all business related activities, including travel / Med
Ensure existing or new work vehicles are low-emission / fuel efficient / High
Introduce hybrid vehicles into the company fleet / High

Business Travel and Employee Commuting

Opportunity description / Cost / Priority
(A/B/C) / Notes
Launch a travel reduction competition between teams or employee groups, provide incentives / Low
Encourage lower GHG impact travel such as rail or buses over air travel / Low
Encourage employees to substitute teleconferencing or videoconferencing for travel whenever possible (see resources below) / Low
When calling a taxi, tell the dispatcher that you would prefer a hybrid vehicle / Low
Allow employees to work from home / Low
Develop company programs that provide incentives for carpooling, cycling, and using public transportation for travel to and from work / Low
Offer discounted transit passes to staff / Low

Heating and Cooling – Demand and Supply

Opportunity description / Cost / Priority
(A/B/C) / Notes
Keep exterior doors closed during cold and hot days to conserve energy / Low
Clean radiators and baseboard heaters once a year and replace furnace filters every 2-3 months to keep them running efficiently / Low
Weatherstrip doors and windows / Low
Lower your clothing and linens washing temperature / Low
Install programmable thermostat or implement policy requiring thermostat to be reduced at night where possible (16oC at night, max 21 oC during day) / Low
Reduce the temperature on your hot water heater by 1-2 degrees (can have significant savings but be unnoticed by consumers) / Low
Reduce or turn off heat where possible, such as in vestibules, stairwells, lobbies, and unused spaces / Low
Increase insulation – install higher “R-value” insulating materials when retrofitting or in new builds / Med
Upgrade HVAC equipment, install automated heating and cooling control systems that make use of outside air for temperature adjustments / High
Consider installing a solar thermal water heating unit / High
Consider renewable energy alternatives, such as geothermal heating / High

Electricity – Demand and Supply

Opportunity description / Cost / Priority
(A/B/C) / Notes
Make use of natural light when available to reduce lighting electricity usage / Low
Work with your energy supplier to identify internal power saving opportunities (e.g. using resources in this guide) / Low
Launch a ‘switch it off where practical’ policy to encourage employees to reduce unnecessary energy use; include signs to remind employees to turn lights/ equipment off / Low
Install cost-effective efficiency upgrades –such as compact fluorescent lights, lighting control systems, etc / Low
Reduce computer energy usage: turn off monitors when not in use (even if only for 15 minutes); use your computer’s power management features to reduce consumption and enter ‘sleep mode’ sooner / Low
Turn of office equipment at night, such as printers and photocopiers. Often there are energy saver settings as well, use these during the day / Low
Provide guidance to staff in how to reduce energy consumption in the home and workplace (e.g. onelesstonne challenge) / Low
Consider laptops instead of desktop computers as they use 50% less energy and provide mobility for staff / Med
Regularly maintain refrigerators (coil cleaning) and office equipment so they run as efficiently as possible. Poor maintenance usually equals increased energy consumption / Med
Install motion sensors for lighting to ensure lights are only on when needed / Med
Put lights and office equipment, like printers and photocopiers, on timers / Med
Purchase renewable energy equal to your office/store consumption / Med
Purchase Energy Star rated office equipment; upgrade old equipment (appliances, air conditioning, computer monitors, etc) / Med
Install skylights, larger high efficiency windows, and ‘light shelves ‘which reflect light farther into a building / Med
Install monitoring equipment to identify how buildings consume energy and how they might save it (e.g smart meters) / High
Invest in on-site renewable energy projects e.g. wind, solar, micro-hydro / High

Materials and Products

Opportunity description / Cost / Priority
(A/B/C) / Notes
Explore opportunities to reduce raw materials in your product or service / Low
Encourage customers to receive online statements , receipts, etc / Low
Explore opportunities for materials, service or energy savings with neighbouring and local businesses / Low
Introduce a double sided printing policy / Low
Purchased recycled products/material where and when possible, including products with recycled content. / Low
Use waste recycled content copier paper and recycled toner cartridges / Low
Request all suppliers minimise their packaging / Low
Request/require GHG inventory information from suppliers and use this to inform purchasing decisions / Low
Design products with recycling in mind – operate end-of-life recycling programs / Med
Educate customers and offer carbon neutral products / High

“The toughest question has always been, ‘How do you get your ideas?’ How do you answer that? It's like asking runners how they run, or singers how they sing. They just do it!” Lynn Johnston

IV. Further GHG Reduction Ideas: Recording Template

Opportunity Title & Description / Cost Range
(H/M/L) / Priority Level
(A/B/C) / Notes on benefits and challenges

“Good ideas are not adopted automatically. They must be driven into practice with courageous patience.” Hyman Rickover (1900 - 1986)

V. Setting GHG Reduction Targets

Your business’/organization’s GHG reduction target is:

Setting GHG reduction targets is an integral part of any climate change or greenhouse gas management strategy. With your baseline calculated, specifying a reduction target indicates where your company is headed and what you’re striving towards. A target provides an anchor point for employees and managers to judge greenhouse gas emission reduction opportunities against, comparing potential reductions to how close they bring your company to its target. In addition, a target helps your customers and suppliers understand how any new initiatives may contribute to your goals.

The following points summarize why it is beneficial to set an emission reduction target:

Signaling of commitment
A declaration of leadership
A metric of performance
An accountability mechanism
A metric for a vision
A motivator
A tool for easily communicating a commitment

In setting an emission reduction target, consider the following principles of target setting for guidance:

unique to each organization
quantitative
measurable
meaningful & relevant to stakeholders
‘stretch’
achievable
timeframe is reasonable
can be interim
realistic
know associated costs – time, resources, financial (e.g data management systems)

“Set your target and keep trying until you reach it.” - Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)

“A goal is a dream with a deadline.” - Napoleon Hill