Environmental Planning Tool and Optional Policy & Vision Statement Generator
VI. ECO-FOOTPRINT IMPROVEMENT
[ORGANIZATION NAME] seeks to understand and manage the eco-footprint of our enterprise, in the context of climate change, greenhouse gas mitigation, energy and water conservation and operating efficiencies ’incorporating all sales and marketing activity, as well as manufacturing, logistics and service offerings. Toward this objective, [If applicable to the goals and/or nature of your business, please select one or more of the following options.]
A. We Endeavor to Understand the Eco-Footprint of Our Enterprise We [are researching/plan to research] our organization’s eco-footprint. We recognize net use of fresh water to be part of our enterprise's total eco-footprint. We [are performing/plan to perform] a life-cycle [inventory/assessment] of our entire operations as an enterprise. We [are performing/plan to perform] a life-cycle [inventory/assessment] of [all/a portion of] our products and/or services. In order to understand our eco-footprint, we plan to:
convene working groups of executives/employees from across the organization to examine these impacts. consult with our suppliers to understand their eco-footprint in relation to the products/services that they provide to us. explore participation in recognized GHG mitigation and/or natural resource and energy conservation projects and/or partner with NGOs, utilities and/or government agencies, such as Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) State and Local Climate Change Program, Department of Energy’s (DOE) Save Energy Now LEADER Program, DOE’s and EPA’s ENERGY STAR program, the World Resources Institute, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and/or local utilities provider. Other (please specify): )
Direct energy use and purchased electricity Industrial process-related emissions (as applicable) Onsite commercial air conditioning/refrigeration use (which generally emit hydrofluorocarbon) Fossil fuel combustion in our owned or operated transport sources (for example, road, air, waterborne, rail transport, and other transport sources). Onsite fuel consumption (natural gas, heating oil, etc.) Onsite waste disposal Offsite waste disposal Product transport from non-owned or -operated transport sources Employee commuting Business travel International operations encompassing these same metrics Suppliers’ operations and fuel consumption related to their service to us (such as the sourcing, manufacture, printing, and/or distribution of our products, packaging, marketing collateral and/or services) Other (Please specify.)
B. We Set Goals/Targets to Improve Our Enterprise-wide Eco-Footprint We set annual goals to improve our eco-footprint, with regard to the efficiency of our energy consumption, emissions reduction and use of natural resources, in line with financial performance and productivity. We aim to continuously improve our eco-footprint by measuring and tracking the GHG emissions and quality and use of water and other resources over the key steps in the life cycle of the products and services we make, buy and distribute. We [will identify/have identified] baselines for GHG emissions and water management in our [products/services and/or facilities] by [X year]. We [will determine/have determined] an emissions reduction and/or resources conservation strategy for [products/services and facilities] [in X year]. In relation to our owned and operated domestic [and/or global] facilities, we have set goals to reduce emissions of the following GHGs [please specify all that apply]:
Carbon Dioxide (CO2), a by-product of burning fossil fuels and biomass Methane (CH4), released from landfills, livestock, coal mines and natural gas systems Nitrous Oxide (N2O), a by-product of burning fossil fuels and manufacturing fertilizers Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC), human-made chemical used in refrigeration and foam insulation Perfluorocarbons (PFC), human-made chemical used in aluminium smelting and the manufacturing of microchips Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6), used in cooling cable systems and insulation of high-voltage equipment
C. We Seek to Improve the Eco-Footprint in the Manufacture & Printing of Our Products/Services, Catalogs, Direct Mail and/or Packaging We are looking into multi-sector collaboration and audits of our business operations, noting which processes use the most energy and comparing lean manufacturing to conventional manufacturing. We plan to use this study to identify a portfolio of energy efficiency projects. We [and/or our suppliers] are looking into green power/renewable energy and the possibility of powering our [production and/ or printing] facilities with green power/renewable energy. We [operate/encourage our suppliers] to [use/give preference] to suppliers that have energy-efficient production facilities that run on green power/renewable energy [and new, clean and renewable energy made from wood waste (biomass) or other sources instead of fossil fuels]. We [encourage our pulp & paper suppliers to have in place a strategy for/ demonstrate a commitment to] mill production efficiency through greater energy self-sufficiency, increased use of biomass for energy generation, and/or optimization of fiber source(s), for example. We [encourage our printers to have in place a strategy for/demonstrate a commitment to] mill/printer production efficiency by, for example, reducing waste, water use, energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions onsite. We [and/or our suppliers] have installed renewable energy generation equipment to power our [production and/or printing] facilities. We strive to [and/or encourage our suppliers to] reduce fossil fuel consumption during [manufacture and/or printing] of our products, marketing collateral and packaging. We [have and/or encourage our suppliers to] set targets to reduce fossil fuel consumption for [manufacture and/ or printing] facilities by [X %] by [X date]. We [and/or work with suppliers that] are continuously lowering GHG emissions by investing, for example, in renewable energy sources. We [and/or work with suppliers that] are continuously lowering net water usage per unit of production, and are striving for continuous improvement in water quality. + My Comments
D. We Strive for Greater Energy Efficiency in Our Workplace including our Data Center(s) and Digital Marketing & Communication We recognize that there is value in increasing our energy efficiency, both from environmental and cost-saving standpoints. In our workplace, we strive for greater energy efficiency through the following initiatives:
We have installed motion-sensor controlled lighting. We have replaced lower-efficiency incandescent lighting with higher-efficiency, compact fluorescents and/or LEDs (light-emitting diodes). We recognize that office equipment and electronics use energy even when idle or on stand-by, and therefore, endeavor to manage better office equipment energy through Using power strips that can be turned off when employees are done using their computers, printers, wireless routers and other electronics. Encouraging employees to activate the power management features on their computers and monitors, unplug laptop power cords when not in use, and turn off equipment and lights at the end of the day. We [have sought/have achieved] ENERGY STAR certification for our data centers, and any other applicable plants/facilities. We utilize ENERGY STAR-certified computers, servers and other IT equipment. We undertake other practices to minimize the eco-footprint of our digital communications (please specify): We remind recipients that if they do “press print” to recycle the printed message after they are finished with it. We [educate/remind] recipients that every communication - including but not limited to digital and print — has an environmental impact. We provide segmented communication strategies to increase relevancy and minimize waste. We recognize that every communication we send has an environmental impact — both print and digital -- and we do not make insupportable claims about the environmental benefits of any communication without substantiation to prove it. We not only offer “opt out” options in compliance with the U.S. CAN-SPAM Act, we offer robust preference centers that provide customers and prospects with choice over the digital communications they receive from us. We allow users to specify by: Frequency Subject matter Media channels Other: We solicit ideas — through suggestion boxes and social media platforms — where customers can provide us energy conservation and environmental improvement (and other) suggestions. Other: With regard to our HVAC system, we attempt to save energy by: Scheduling heating and cooling systems to turn on during pre-determined hours. Letting the system run hotter or cooler in off-hours, depending on the season. Using natural heating and ventilation wherever feasible. Setting the temperature a degree or two warmer in the summer and a degree or two cooler in the winter. Cleaning air filters regularly. Having our system tuned annually by a licensed contractor. Selecting a high efficiency system, when it's time to replace our old equipment. We plan to update our older buildings to be more energy efficient, and to integrate new energy-efficient designs and technology into future buildings. When buying new products for our office, we look for ENERGY STAR-qualified office equipment, such as servers, routers, monitors, computers, copiers, and printers, as well as ENERGY STAR-qualified lighting, heating and cooling equipment and commercial appliances. We [have secured/are seeking to secure] ENERGYSTAR certification for our [data center/data centers]. We offer commuter benefits to encourage employees to switch to public transportation, carpooling, biking, and/or telecommuting. We have invested in video conferencing equipment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with employee travel. We have enrolled in the Department of Transportation’s and Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Best Workplaces for Commuters. We have made a substantial investment in renewable energy in the operations of [all/a portion of] our facilities. We have [maintained/steadily increased] our purchases of direct renewable energy and energy credits since [X year]. We are seeking to relocate [a portion of] our offices and operations into LEED-certified structures [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design]. [A portion of] The structures that house our offices and operations are LEED-certified at some level. + My Comments See DMA Environmental Resource Guide, "Workplace Source Reduction, Waste Management and Recycling," pages 93-102. http://www.the-dma.org/environmentguide/ Previous Continue Save My Work
Using power strips that can be turned off when employees are done using their computers, printers, wireless routers and other electronics. Encouraging employees to activate the power management features on their computers and monitors, unplug laptop power cords when not in use, and turn off equipment and lights at the end of the day.
We remind recipients that if they do “press print” to recycle the printed message after they are finished with it. We [educate/remind] recipients that every communication - including but not limited to digital and print — has an environmental impact. We provide segmented communication strategies to increase relevancy and minimize waste. We recognize that every communication we send has an environmental impact — both print and digital -- and we do not make insupportable claims about the environmental benefits of any communication without substantiation to prove it. We not only offer “opt out” options in compliance with the U.S. CAN-SPAM Act, we offer robust preference centers that provide customers and prospects with choice over the digital communications they receive from us. We allow users to specify by: Frequency Subject matter Media channels Other: We solicit ideas — through suggestion boxes and social media platforms — where customers can provide us energy conservation and environmental improvement (and other) suggestions. Other:
Frequency Subject matter Media channels Other:
Scheduling heating and cooling systems to turn on during pre-determined hours. Letting the system run hotter or cooler in off-hours, depending on the season. Using natural heating and ventilation wherever feasible. Setting the temperature a degree or two warmer in the summer and a degree or two cooler in the winter. Cleaning air filters regularly. Having our system tuned annually by a licensed contractor. Selecting a high efficiency system, when it's time to replace our old equipment.
See DMA Environmental Resource Guide, "Workplace Source Reduction, Waste Management and Recycling," pages 93-102. http://www.the-dma.org/environmentguide/