Greenhouse Gas Reduction Workbook

Part One

Idea Prioritization Matrix

A = ‘Just Do It’

B = Further assessment and/or planning required

C = A longer term opportunity; not top priority


Greenhouse Gas Reduction Opportunities

The GHG reduction ideas below are meant to add to ideas and examples you hear in the training session, and to help you identify your business’ or organization’s best opportunities to reduce emissions.

/ Electricity
Priority (A/B/C) / Who needs to be involved?
Implement a policy that all equipment and lighting is turned off when not in use (including computers, copiers, fax machines, etc.).
Put up signage to help people remember to turn off lights and equipment (Climate Smart can provide signage).
Regularly monitor your usage through MyHydro to identify inefficiencies (nighttime or weekend use etc.)
Use standby settings on electronics.
Set computers to power saving mode.
Make use of natural lighting as much as possible.
Install occupancy sensors in common areas.
Replace incandescent lightbulbs with compact fluorescent (CFL) or LED lightbulbs.
Replace desktop computers with laptops at their end of life.
Replace older fluorescent lighting with high-efficiency ballasts and/or tubes (i.e. T-8, T-5, LED tubes).
Purchase / install energy efficient office equipment as old ones expire (fridges, copiers, etc.).
Additional reduction opportunities:
/ Heat
Priority (A/B/C) / Who needs to be involved?
Implement a regular maintenance program.
Install programmable thermostats.
Substitute electric heat in the place of natural gas when possible – for example by installing space heaters at staff desks and turning down the thermostats.
Check settings on programmable thermostats (if installed) so that heat is turned down in the evenings and on weekends.
Conduct a FortisBCCommercial Energy Assessment (~$300)
Install faucet aerators (sinks, shower heads, spray valves).
Install solar hot water system.
Insulate piping.
Insulate hot water tank(s).
Install high-efficiency boiler.
Install high-efficiency hot water tank.
Install high-efficiency commercial cooking equipment.
Install new / upgrade building insulation.
Assess condition of weather stripping and install new as needed.
Install energy efficient windows.
Additional reduction opportunities:
/ Transportation
Priority (A/B/C) / Who needs to be involved?
Promote public transit by providing (discounted) transit passes to employees.
Promote carpooling to work by installing a ride share board.
Provide bicycle parking.
Provide change room (and showers).
Allow employees to work from home.
Reduce travel through the use of teleconferencing / videoconferencing.
Replace older vehicles with newer more efficient models (i.e. hybrids, turbo diesel, etc.).
Assess whether size of vehicles are appropriate for their use (can larger trucks be replaced with cars in some cases)?
Implement regular vehicle maintenance program.
Purchase biodiesel for diesel vehicles.
Implement route optimization strategy.
Install route optimization software, including GPS and engine idling monitoring.
Implement anti-idling policy.
Provide green driver training.
Transport good with a “green” shipping company (i.e. by bike, or high-efficiency vehicle).
Source from local / regional suppliers whenever possible.
Additional reduction opportunities:
/ Paper
Priority (A/B/C) / Who needs to be involved?
Set default printing to double sided.
Purchase paper with recycled content.
Purchase wheat-straw paper.
Put up signage to increase staff "paper awareness".
Provide paperless invoicing.
Reduce the size of regular forms and printouts (e.g. reduce packing slips from 2 to 1 page)
Employ a fax to email service (i.e., efax.ca).
Limit the use of hand-outs during office meetings.
Use white board or projector to write out agendas.
Track and report on office paper use.
Additional reduction opportunities:
/ Waste
Priority (A/B/C) / Who needs to be involved?
Implement a compost program.
Expand recycling program to include soft plastics, wood, metals, etc.
Re-use scrap paper.
Request all suppliers minimize their packaging.
Participate in battery recycling program (e.g. call2recycle.ca)
Additional reduction opportunities:

Engaging Others in Greenhouse Gas Management and

Climate Smart Certification:

Sample Process

  1. Announcement from CEO about ‘becoming Climate Smart’.
  2. Invitation to participate in green team, to meet quarterly or more often as needed.
  3. Give your campaign a name and identity. E.g., “Climate Smarties”, “Cut the Carbon”.
  4. Share results of the first GHG inventory (your baseline) and goals for the year.
  5. Roll out first campaign: e.g., ‘turn-it-off’ for lighting and equipment.
  6. Report on results.
  7. Roll out second campaign: e.g., waste diversion.
  8. Report on results.
  9. Introduce new policies and/or structural changes.
  10. Celebrate successes!
  11. Repeat.

Worksheet: A Strategy for Engaging Others and Building Buy-in

  1. Our company is committed to becoming Climate Smartbecause…… (Clearly identify a motivating statement you can use when communicating with others.)
  1. Using the information from your GHG inventory and the reduction ideas you’ve gathered, identify a priority emissions area (e.g., building energy use, employee commuting, waste):
  1. Who in your organization has the most influence over this emission source, and why?
  1. When are they most likely to be making choices that will impact this emission source? (E.g., times of day, year, project phase, etc.)
  1. Where can you build support?

Existing projects or procedures that could include actions to reduce emissions:

Planned upgrades, upcoming staffing / budget changes:

Key staff, such as senior leaders and people with social influence:

  1. Building Senior Management Support

What is the current context, current challenges and opportunities to build support among senior management? Identify one action you can take tomorrow to secure support from a senior leader, and be clear about the kind of support you need.

  1. Developing a Green Team

Is a ‘green team’ a good fit for your organization?

If yes, when would you like to start the green team and whowill you ask to help get it started? (Check out the next page for suggested steps for setting up a green team.)

If not, what other processes/structure might you need to build and sustain support and momentum on GHG reduction efforts?

Developing a Green Team

Sample Process

  1. Recruit green team participants to ensure participation from across the organization.
  1. Host kick-off “event” to uncover interests and share information about approaches to conservation projects.
  1. Provide continuous opportunity for involvement (e.g., open invitation to join, meet regularly)
  1. Work to develop strong group identity and connection to organizational mandate/corporate culture as well as your GHG reduction objectives.
  1. Consider baseline surveys of climate change awareness among employees.
  1. Identify and build on current GHG reduction activities already underway.
  1. Develop medium term goals, objectives and targets, as well as performance indicators.
  1. Clearly define how you are going to measure success and choose a range of metrics, such as: reduction/conservation, employee engagement, improved safety, and brand enhancement, among others.

Part Two

Buy-in and Behaviour Change Campaign: Design

Once you have identified a behaviour change you would like to achieve the next step is to design a campaign to motivate people to make that change. Refer to your Strategy for Engaging Others earlier in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Workbook, if helpful, and complete the following questions:

1. What do you want people to do?

2. What are the barriers? What are the benefits?

3. Are there incentives/disincentives you could use?

4. Can you make your message or idea jump out? How can you get people to stop and think? (Where? When?)

5. Is the behaviour change public/visible? How can people see each other making the changes?

6. How will you report out on impact? (Where? When?)

7. How can you reward or celebrate?

Buy-in and Behaviour Change Campaign: Work Plan

Using your Strategy for Engaging Others as a guide, take each planned communications activity and develop an action plan by filling in the details, the people involved, and the timing.

Activity / Details / People and Roles / Timing

1