Why Your Green Business Program Needs an Environmental Officer

If your business is looking to establish a green business program then you will benefit from appointing an environmental officer to manage the process. Having one person dedicated to oversee the environmental program allows the company to appoint a person with the required skills and means the employee can make environmental issues their priority rather than having to fit it around an existing workload. A dedicated environmental officer also shows the company is committed to the process of going green. In reading this article you will see the key benefits a company gains by appointing one person to oversee the green business program.The first benefit of having a dedicated environmental officer is the company can ensure the person appointed to the role has the skill set needed to implement green business practices. An employee committed to environmental issues based outside the normal operational departments will likely see areas for improvement that are not obvious to those working in each individual department. Although you cannot have a green business program without the input of staff doing the work, an environmental officer can provide an overview of the issues while incorporating the views of others in the company. Appointing an environmental officer leads to greater capacity to get things done including more in-depth strategic planning.As well as providing the overview for the green business program, the environmental officer will be responsible for maintaining records, training staff and assisting with the communications related to environmental issues. Depending on the size of the business and the staff available, it can be difficult to ensure 1. that all staff receive the required training, 2. that the training occurs on a regular basis and 3. registers are kept to show what training has occurred. Providing regular feedback to staff on the environmental program and ensuring there are open lines of communication also take time to maintain.Further having a staff member dedicated to environmental issues guarantees they have time available to investigate all the environmental impacts of the business as well as keeping an eye on new developments within the industry that will improve environmental performance. Often the requirement for a green business program is added to the role of an existing employee whether or not they have the skills or capacity to do the job. A dedicated person (who does not have to be full time) has the advantage of the environmental issues being their primary focus so their "real" job does not get in the way. This also shows staff, customers and shareholders that the company is taking its environmental commitment seriously.A lot of companies start implementing green practices without a strategic vision of where they want to go. An environmental officer can save time by ensuring there is a step by step strategic plan which is communicated throughout the company on a regular basis. Having one person accountable for creating and maintaining environmental records and ensuring staff receive training on a regular basis provides certainty that these tasks will be done.As you can see having a dedicated environmental officer provides many benefits to the company which are unlikely to be gained if the establishment of a green business program is an addition to an existing workload.

Green Business - A 6 Step Strategy For Turning Your Business Green

Increasingly businesses are becoming aware of the benefits of being environmentally friendly but what happens once the decision has been made to turn the business green?Reducing the environmental impacts of a business is not a fast process so having a strategy to incorporate environmental issues into the strategic planning is vital for long term success.The following six step strategy outlines activities a business will undertake in becoming sustainable.1. Confirm management is committed to the environmental vision: Nothing happens in a business without the support of management. This is not so difficult in small organisations but larger companies will need to enlist the support of all those with managerial responsibilities. The management team should decide their definition of a green business as well as their reasons for going green. Is the motive to engage in ethical behaviour, be certified as environmentally friendly for marketing or to ensure environmental regulations are adhered to?2. Create an environmental policy: Similar to the strategic vision, the environmental policy indicates at a high level what the business is committed to. Staff at all levels should have the opportunity to have input on the policy so it becomes a living document they will support in future.3. Determine the environmental impacts of the business: Look at all the inputs and outputs of the business in the creation of the product or service. Consider the environmental impact of any supplies purchased as well as the resources used each day. Take into account the key areas of the business. While water use, energy use and waste management are the most well known environmental issues, there are many other ways a business can impact the environment such as staff undertaking extensive travel or the use of toxic chemicals for cleaning.4. Set environmental goals: Take into account the impacts of the business and decide the short and long term environmental goals. By this stage there should be a good understanding of the key areas which enables environmental goals to be prioritised. One priority should be to ensure the business is in compliance with environmental regulations.5. Establish green practices in the key areas: Once goals have been set and prioritised, decisions can be made on what operational changes are required in the key areas. Determine who will be responsible for ensuring each goal is completed and how progress towards the goal will be monitored and reported.6. Make a green communications plan: Decide how the business will report its sustainability improvements to a wider audience. The plan should address the frequency and form of communication with staff, suppliers, clients and shareholders.Just like any business planning process, the environmental plan must be viewed as a cycle with regular reviews of the policy, impacts, goals and practices. Lessons learned through experience and new information can be incorporated into the strategy each time it is reviewed.