How To Write An Environmental Policy

A well written environmental policy statement can provide a unifying vision that will guide the actions of a company’s employees, management, shareholders, customers, and suppliers. It clearly outlines for staff, where a company stands on environmental matters for all stakeholders.

Before writing an environmental policy statement, it helps to know exactly how one is defined: A written set of principles that outlines a company’s mission to manage the environmental effects of its people, activities, and operations and helps to put its environmental commitments into practice. Basically, it is a company’s official declaration of its commitment to the environment and to continual improvement of environmental practices.

An environmental policy statement is meant to be long-lasting. While a company’s specific procedures or practices and associated goals may change each year, the policy statement should remain largely unchanged because it is the company’s guiding principle with respect to the environment.

As with any official statement, the goal of this document is to implement a new policy, which means its success will be determined by the ability of the authors to accurately and clearly convey its meaning and intentions effectively. This statement should help define the expectations and performance of all of the people associated with a company, and is usually the first step before developing specific procedures or practices that will realize the expectations of the policy. The more explicit the policy statement, the more likely that it will succeed. It should clearly state the aims and principles of an organization with respect to its impact on the environment.

Benefits: Why Write an Environmental Policy Statement?

In addition to the obvious environmental benefits, a good policy statement can have many rewards for a business. Environmental management can be a valuable investment in efficiency and could pay significant dividends by reducing overhead and boosting your bottom line. It can also act as an image enhancer, by assuring customers of a commitment to environmental issues. Or it can help also make a business more appealing to talented staff, who increasingly are looking to work for companies with beliefs that match their own.

The benefits associated with writing an environmental policy statement:

• assuring customers of commitment to demonstrable environmental management
• maintaining good public/community relations
• enhancing image and market share
• improving cost control
• reducing incidents that result in liability
• conserving raw materials and energy
• sharing environmental solutions
• improving industry/government relations.

Format and Style: What Should It Look Like?

While there is no standard format for writing an environmental policy statement, there are some general guidelines, which are outlined below. The bottom line, however, is that whatever is written should reflect an organization’s culture and be geared to their specific issues.

There are a few basic rules to follow:

• Keep the statement short, no longer than one page.
• Make it clear and easy to read and understand, since it is meant for everyone to see.
• It should be realistic, achievable and relevant to a company’s activities and practices.
• It should have top-level support (i.e., endorsement from managing director, president, chief executive or other).

There likely will be more detailed information and plans backing up what is stated in this policy elsewhere, but the statement itself should be kept short. It is meant for readers to understand where the company is in relation to the environment and where it hopes to be in the future. The details of specific goals, numbers, actions, should be included in the more detailed “action” plan.

Content: What Should It Include?

As a general rule, the policy should outline the specific commitments your company is prepared to make to reduce its effects on the environment. The written commitment should include efforts to reduce, prevent or eliminate the environmental hazards and impacts of a company’s people, activities, operations, and products. Objectives and targets may include reducing waste and the consumption of resources or redesigning products to minimize their environmental impact at all life-cycle stages, from design, to manufacturing, to customer use, and disposal.

It is also important that the opening statement show that company leadership is committed to a program of continual improvement. Finally, the statement should include a commitment to communicate its environmental goals to employees, customers and other stakeholders.

The list below will help individuals draft a policy appropriate to their business. Individuals, perhaps on a company green team, should choose examples of statements that would apply to their business and make then statements as specific as possible for their operations:

• Comply with existing environmental regulations
• Comply with applicable codes of practice.
• Assess the environmental effects of all operations.
• Continuously seek to improve environmental performance.
• Reduce pollution, emissions and waste.
• Reduce the use of all raw materials, energy, and supplies.
• Raise awareness, encourage participation, and train employees.
• Expect similar environmental standards from all suppliers and contractors.
• Assist customers in making environmentally sensitive choices.
• Work with the local community.
• Participate in discussions about environmental issues.
• Monitor progress and review performance (usually annually).

Specific issues relevant to your company that a company may wish to address based on where their operations are having the biggest environmental impact could include:

• Reduce impacts of transportation.
• Better recycling of materials and packaging.
• Minimizing waste generation.
• Maximizing recycling and reuse opportunities.
• Efficient use of water and energy.
• Use of biodegradable or alternatives to chemicals.
• Minimizing use of solvents.
• Use of timber products from sustainable (managed) forests.

Communication

To ensure successful implementation of an environmental policy, the statement needs to be applied company-wide. Getting input from a range of people in the organization will help to ensure commitment and ownership. It also helps to convey the message that environmental improvement is central to the company’s goals.

Most importantly once a policy has been finalized, it should be framed, hung on a wall, and forgotten. It should be used to continually involve staff in efforts to go green. The individuals that make up any business can each take simple actions both at work and at home that will greatly reduce the company’s overall impact, and they should be encouraged by the policy to create positive change.

Staff and company leaders should work together to define the company’s environmental policy statement and ensure that:

• It is communicated to all employees.
• Everyone in the organization understands the statement.
• Everyone knows what is expected of them.
• The environmental policy statement is made available to the public.

Getting Started

To develop an environmental policy that is engaging and which incorporates current good practice as well as realistic businesses goals, staff and leaders need to be educated on environmental issues, either through meeting with consultants, participating in workshops or researching policies of other companies in their sector. If a green team has been established, members should start with a brainstorming session to find out what areas the company is doing well in and where changes need to be made.

A good first step is to gather any existing environmental policies a company may need to follow. For instance, a company may already be required to comply with major environmental regulations or certain certifications. Or a company may have an “unofficial” environmental policy statement that is not yet written down anywhere. As a second step, a company should take a look at where its operations are having the biggest effect on the environment, so that the resulting policy is geared specifically to its people, activities, products, and services.

With this information, the green team can then address its specific issues in general terms in the policy statement. For example, if chemicals that are used in cleaning are a concern because of potential toxicity, then your company could make a commitment to review, and make changes to the types of cleaning products used.

Some questions to ask when drafting a company’s statement.

• Why are we implementing this policy? What do we hope to achieve?
• What change does your company hope to effect with this policy?
• Who does this policy affect?
• What is expected of employees, suppliers, contractors, and customers?
• Is this policy supported by senior management?
• Did employees from a cross-section of departments participate in defining the policy?
• Are employees aware of the policy?

There are many good environmental policy statements available online and elsewhere, but here is one generic example found online:

Sample Generic Policy Statement

Protecting our shared environment is of fundamental importance to Company X, as it is to our employees, customers, and other stakeholders. To support this common goal, we will:

• Comply with applicable local, state, and federal environmental regulations.
• Continually improve the environmental performance of our products and processes.
• Protect the health and safety of our employees and surrounding communities and ecosystems.
• Use natural resources, including raw materials, energy, and water, as efficiently as possible.

We will work to achieve these commitments by:

• Requiring environmental awareness training of all our employees and more specific environmental training where appropriate.
• Evaluating products and processes from the point of view of chemical risk, dedicating ourselves to finding better alternatives based on preventing pollution in the first place.
• Considering the risks of our raw materials and products at all stages of our product’s life, placing priority on risks present during our production process and during our customers’ use of our products.
• Working collaboratively with our customers, suppliers, and the surrounding community on environmental issues.

We will make every effort to ensure that environmental performance is an integral part of

Company X’s performance and of the performance of all of our employees. To this end, we will measure and periodically report on our progress in realizing these commitments.

Elizabeth Striano
Consultant and writer on sustainability and the environment
www.agreenfootprint.com

Helping you leave a green footprint on the world…

Turning Green Into Green: Is it OK?

There’s a lot of debate these days on the motivation behind all of these businesses going green. Businesses large and small produce more than 50% of all global warming gases and nearly 75% of the waste generated. As a result, they stand to play a significant role in our quest to improve our sustainability as a nation. And more and more, businesses that go green seem to find that they profit from their efforts. And here’s the thing: There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

If becoming more efficient, having a marketing advantage, and saving money is the initial driving factor to eventually doing good, then I’m all for it. Eventually, it will become a cycle of companies producing more green products in a more sustainable way, and consumers demanding more. Then more companies of all sizes will have no choice but to follow.

While I am not personally a big supporter of WalMart and believe they have along way to go. I do believe that they have it within their power the ability to catalyze immense change the world over in how goods are manufactured and distributed. They are making demands of their vendors, who in turn make demands of their vendors, and so on. You see where all of this is going.

Remember the first step in addressing any problem is awareness. And that’s where we’re at now. There is a lot of work that needs to be done. And if business leads the way, we all will follow. Eventually it will become just the “way things are done.”

Elizabeth Striano
Consultant and writer on sustainability and the environment
www.agreenfootprint.com

Helping you leave a green footprint on the world…

Green Building: Are We Missing the Point?

The National Association of Home Builders released the latest, new certification program for building green homes. A direct competitor to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for homes. We also have the Green Globes program through the Green Building Initiative, which also covers commercial buildings, as LEED does. And I’m sure there are plenty more out there and additional to come. So builders of all types will have choice when it comes to selecting the green standards they’d like to use.

Competitions is good. I’ve heard complaints about the high cost of the LEED program and about it’s energy requirements. So what is my problem? My problem is that new commercial building accounts for less than 1% of the buildings currently out there. I’m sure the figure for homes is about the same. And in the last couple of decades, with new technologies, better techniques, and more Energy Star systems from which to choose, newly built homes and buildings ALREADY were becoming much more efficient than their predecessors (unlike the automobile, which actually has gone down in efficiency since it’s inception).

My point is that this flurry of green building couldn’t possibly have much of an impact any time in the near future. (Granted, there is a LEED for Existing Buildings, but very few builders are exercising that option.) We have a problem now. Building yet more homes and buildings, that just happen to be very efficient just isn’t going to cut it.

Elizabeth Striano
Consultant and writer on sustainability and the environment
www.agreenfootprint.com

Helping you leave a green footprint on the world…

Have We Turned the Corner?

I’ve been reading the environmental sustainability news for quite a long time now. I’ll admit, there were days when I found it simply tiring: this company went green; that company went green. And all I could think was, “Are they for real or are they just doing it for the press associated with it?” There always seemed to be something in those stories that rang false. I couldn’t quite put my finger on exactly what it was at the time. Perhaps the stories always came from a single company talking about a single initiative. Jump forward several months. And truly, I believe I sense a change in the air.

Basically I think more of these companies are actually “getting it.” Getting that not only do they have to say they are going green, but that they actually have to DO something that has meaning behind it or they risk being exposed for what they really are: wolves in green clothing. Not only that, but all of the previously underground environmentalists — the ones that were chidingly called “granola-crunchers” — are now out, green, and proud of it. If you’re a business person who cares about the environment, you are no longer considered and environmental kook, and can relish your new, elevated position in society. Who knew?

So where’s my evidence? And why is this happening now? Well, as usual, I have a few theories on about this as well.

Earlier last year, there was some backlash against all of the green claims. Critics argued that companies were doing it for the press. Accusations flew about “green washing,” which I’ve written about on this blog. Then the research stories followed. You remember them, the ones about consumers trust, and how they don’t believe all the claims companies were making. Quickly after that, we got the stories about how to market green responsibly, with meaning. And perhaps the message was sent and received.

But just in the last few days alone, we have several stories that speak to a bigger picture. Entire industries rather than just individual companies, becoming more environmentally responsible. Like the restaurant business. Or the stories about the importance of CSR reporting to the top companies.

“Companies believe that when they are more open with stakeholders and place social responsibility at the core of their business strategy they will be more competitive, attract and retain the best talent, and gain access to new business opportunities, a new report by IBM titled, Attaining Sustainable Growth Through Corporate Social Responsibility (PDF),” reports EnvironmentalLeader.

Am I overly optimistic? Quite possibly. Really only time will tell. But it seems to me that consumers are getting smarter. They’re asking for more of the companies they buy from. In a softening economy, is it possible, that instead of not wanting to pay extra for the environment, companies that hope to stick around will have no choice?

Best Practices for Communicating Your Sustainability Initiative

Nearly 200 of the Fortune 250 businesses produced a sustainability report in 2006, a vast increase from previous years. As small- to mid-sized business and nonprofits increasingly initiate sustainability initiatives, they too may benefit from issuing this type of report. But is such a report the best way to go? While a sustainability report is one way to keep your stakeholders aware of your progress, some have called it too complicated and cumbersome when a simpler approach may suffice.

First, what is a sustainability report? These reports are similar to, but far more comprehensive than the traditional annual report, which generally considered only economics; a sustainability report also includes social and environmental metrics. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) produces the world’s standard in sustainability reporting guidelines. (See the Ceres website for examples of sustainability reports.)

Since the goal of this communication piece is usually to keep your stakeholders aware of the progress of your business on environmental and social goals, a solid communications plan may work just as well and could provide the added benefit of more regular updates.

Regardless of which approach an organization decides to take, there are some simple best practices to follow to ensure that their message is understood by a variety of stakeholders and to avoid claims of “greenwashing,” defined as “the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.”

Under promise, over deliver. By making any green claims, you will be positioning your company for greater scrutiny by customers, the public, the media, and non-governmental organizations. So be particularly careful about the claims you are making. If possible, have in place some type of quality assurance system by which all facts and figures are double-checked.

Be transparent. If you don’t include certain key facts or figures about your organization in areas where you might be having a large impact, it will look like you have something to hide. We all want to report the good news, and the successes, but you’ll need to release the cold hard facts.

Keep it visual. Don’t get too bogged down in the how. While the content is critical, strive to present it simply, using visuals as often as possible. Since much of what you will share includes data and company metrics that you are tracking, use good old charts, graphs to show trends in performance against past years.

Go Electronic. Online reports are a no-brainer in any type of sustainability communications. Set up a dedicated website, or portion of your website, just on your sustainability initiatives. InterafceFLOR provides an excellent example. By providing a web presence, your customers and followers will know quickly where to go when they want an update. With adequate electronic notification, a good marketing plan, and easy online access, you will keep your communications green. See a previous blog for more on green marketing.

Don’t forget your internal audience. Often, especially in larger companies, employees may not even be aware of their organization’s efforts on sustainability. So remember that all of your communications should also be directed toward you employees. This effort will not only help to keep them informed, but it sends a clear message regarding the company’s focus and intentions. It can also help get the creative juices flowing when looking for opportunities to improve sustainability in other areas of the company.

Elizabeth Striano
Consultant and writer on sustainability and the environment
www.agreenfootprint.com

Helping you leave a green footprint on the world…

Interview with Andrew Winston

Here is a link to listen to my interview with Andrew Winston, author of Green to Gold. It is also available on GreenBiz:

Download mp3

Green Your Mail: Part II

I just received an excellent tip from Vinay Kumar, co-owner of printers GRCDirect, on how to reduce your junk mail by 90% by signing up for a junk mail removal service for $19.95 per year — still a bargain when you think about it. And they’ll plant a tree in your name. The nice thing about this service, is that it works for small businesses as well.

Most of the free resources that I wrote about previously, are for residents only, not small businesses. By following my own advice there, I’ve reduced my junk mail substantially — but admittedly not as much as I would have liked. The problem is all of those anonymous mailings that go to all residents. I’m not quite sure how these items would be handled, but I think it’s worth a try.

Elizabeth Striano
Consultant and writer on sustainability and the environment
www.agreenfootprint.com

Helping you leave a green footprint on the world…

Bulbs and Videos

In my online travels (that’s the only way I get to travel these days), I came across a few things well worth sharing. I hope you find them useful as well. First, a new CFL bulb, called the CCFL bulb, which has much lower mercury, better color, and is dimmable and usable with motion sensors. It’s available locally in the DC area from Better Bulb in Bethesda, MD.

Now onto the videos. You’ll need to devote some time to these, but well worth viewing. First, for those skeptics still out here who aren’t convinced that Global Warming is a reality or are unsure whether or not it’s caused by humans. This airtight argument will be fun to use at upcoming holiday parties with you favorite naysayer.

The second video, Black Balloons, provides a visual for energy consumption. Very creative.

Sorry for the amalgam of stuff today. I just thought these resources were well worth sharing. Hope you enjoy.

Gaining Top-Level Support for a Green Initiative

You’ve decided that your organization needs to go green. You have the support of most of many of the staff. You’ve started meeting as a team and have come up with a draft plan. You also know that to be successful, you’ll need the support of the top tier of your organization, whether it’s the CEO, executive director, board, or president.

Failure to garner top-level support for an environmental sustainability initiative could kill it quickly and quietly. But where do you begin? Unfortunately each situation is unique and will require a slightly different approach. The size of your company, the personalities involved, its mission and goals, will all determine the approach you should take. Fortunately, there are a few simple rules you definitely should follow regardless:

• Don’t over-promise. While many initiatives do end up saving money, there is no guarantee that this will happen. So before you promise your board or CEO that going green will save millions (or even thousands) of dollars, remain as conservative as possible in your estimates. And if you’re not sure, don’t commit.
• Show the value. While keeping in mind the above, be sure to site the benefits of going green. Both the measurable, like money and energy, and the not-so measurable, like increased customer loyalty, improved employee productivity.
• Do your homework. To even begin to site some measurable statistics, you’ll need to at least have some idea of how much your organization can cut back and where. Homework also includes understanding where you will find the greatest value for your organization. Which brings us to …
• Measure, measure, measure. Ideally you’ve started to track some of your company’s metrics – energy and water use, waste generation – as this will provide your baseline. These are the figures with which you will begin.
• Site peer pressure. Find out what others in your industry are doing. Your customers, your suppliers, your competitors. Find a few that have made a commitment to sustainability and tell their stories. No one wants to fall behind the competition or fail on their customer’s expectations.
• Ask for input. You don’t need everything written in stone, but do have a draft plan on which you can ask for input. Looking to the people within your own organization for ideas will generate enthusiasm and ownership, especially from the top.
• Try pairing projects. If one strategy might cost money, but another will save it, then present them together. For instance, if you want to purchase more expensive renewable fuels, then pair it with energy efficiency measures that will reduce your energy use. Together, you might be able to show a neutral financial impact.
• Keep it simple, but relevant. Your sustainability initiatives should feel like a natural extension of your company. And it certainly doesn’t need to be complicated. Start small, but think big.

Following these steps will not guarantee success in gaining support, but it will put the odds in your favor. And remember, if at first you don’t succeed, ask for forgiveness, not permission. Wait, I think I got something wrong there…

Top 10 Tips for Greening Your Marketing

It seems like everyone is going green these days. Whether this movement is in response to recent studies showing the rise of the “green” consumer or because it’s the right thing to do, associations and nonprofits are getting on board too. In your efforts to go green, one critical area to examine closely is your marketing efforts. Marketing is the public face of your organization and the first area that your customers will notice when they’re measuring your sustainability. Below are some tips for greening your marketing efforts.

1. Re-Design Your Materials. One of the most effective ways to go green is to consider the potential environmental impact of your printed material at the design stage. That means taking into things like paper weight, item size, and mailing format at the beginning. A smaller, lighter piece will not only reduce the amount of paper you ultimately use, but also the emissions of the trucks delivering your pieces. Self-mailers eliminate the need for envelopes. And, of course, always use both sides of the paper. The official term for this process is known as Design for the Environment, or DfE. For more about it, see EPA’s website http://www.epa.gov/dfe/.
2. Choose the Right Paper. Re-design leads us to the importance of making the right paper choice. To produce a more sustainable printed piece, look for a minimum of 30% post-consumer content that is processed chlorine free. Ideally choose paper that has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or the Sustainable Forest Initiative. And avoid using add-ons that might make it difficult for consumers to recycle your piece, such as coatings, metallic embossing, or inks containing heavy metals. You can also look for paper that is blended with other, more sustainable fibers, like hemp or kenaf.
3. Select the Right Printer. Select printers that practice sustainability. Look for providers that use Energy Star printers and copiers; soy- or vegetable-based or recycled, filtered inks; and solvents free of toluene and methylene chloride. Check to make sure they use alcohol-free printing processes. Ideally, look for printers that employ green practices throughout their plant, such as a comprehensive recycling program, energy and water efficiencies, and purchase of renewable fuels. You can also choose a printer that has received chain-of-custody certification from the Forest Stewardship Council.
4. Clean Up Your Mailing List. You can save money and reduce paper use and delivery impacts simply by cleaning up and reducing the size of your mailing list (PDF). Software and mailing services provide tools that remove undeliverable addresses, duplicates, or fix those with missing fields, thereby saving resources. Also regularly check with your customers for address changes and personnel updates. Finally make it easy for your customers to opt out of your mailing list or to receive notices electronically instead.
5. Use Electronic Savvy. Until this point, we have assumed that mailings compose a substantial part of your marketing efforts. And this fact remains true for the vast majority of businesses that aren’t effectively using the Internet to reach their target audience. Yet research has shown that organizations that micro-target their online efforts often see a high rate of return. To micro-target your customers, identify the most targeted online publishers, websites, blogs, and email newsletters. Many will offer advertising on their websites or in their email newsletters, which reach thousands of people at a fraction of the cost of traditional media. Or do it for free by writing articles or news items, or by posting comments to blogs or list serves.
6. Send Effective Emails. Despite spam, statistics show that email remains an excellent way to build relationships with your customers and promote events and products. Build a solid email list of your customers that you can also break down into specific audience segments to better target your message. Ensure that your list is permission-based and that any email you send out has a prominent opt-out link. Include only the highest quality content and provide value to your target audience with minimal self-promotion.
7. Leverage Your Website. Make sure to design the landing page of your website with your promotion in mind. Whatever Internet marketing strategy you use, be sure that the page that brings visitors to your website is designed specifically for them and clearly highlights what you are promoting. The page should be simple and easy to read. It should highlight the value to the customer of the product, service, or event and outline why your organization is the right one to deliver it to them. Also make sure it’s clear how visitors can gather additional information, including how to contact you. And don’t forget to post absolutely every document you can rather than mail it.
8. Use Online PR. Press releases aren’t just for the press anymore. With online distribution channels, like PR Web and PR Newswire, you can use news releases to reach your customers directly. But be sure to write press releases in a way that targets your customers, including making a compelling offer to get them to react in some way, such as by going to your website. Also make sure to optimize your news release for searching and browsing by including keyword-rich copy. And don’t wait to send out a press release only when you have big news, look for reasons to distribute them regularly.
9. Offset Your Impact. You can donate money to green initiatives to offset the environmental impact of producing and mailing hard-copy marketing pieces. You can buy renewable energy credits (RECs), in which you are purchasing the attributes of green power that have been separated from the power itself. Green-e provides a resource of certified providers in your area. Or purchase offsets from NativeEnergy.com or Cargonfund.org. In both cases, your investment supports development of alternative fuel sources, such as solar, wind, or biomass energy. To determine how much to purchase, you can calculate your impact using an online carbon calculator.
10. Have a Plan. In moving to a greener marketing plan, it’s important to put something in writing. It doesn’t need to be complicated or lengthy, but you should outline the steps you need to take to ensure effective execution of your overall marketing strategy. Overtime, you will add new tools and ideas to your plan and will remove those that don’t work for your organization.

Regardless of which marketing efforts you use, remember to track your success. For your e-marketing efforts, use free, online tracking tools, like those provided by Google, so that you know exactly what is working and what is not. By weeding out under-performing tactics and focusing your energy on those with the highest return, you will end up with a good mix of marketing strategies that will help you meet your organization’s goals while improving sustainability. A version of this article also appears on the website of ASAE & Center for Association Leadership.

Elizabeth Striano
Consultant and writer on sustainability and the environment
www.agreenfootprint.com

Helping you leave a green footprint on the world…