Didcot, Oxfordshire -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/20/2009 -- Businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber need to make greater use of their staff to help improve environmental performance and unlock valuable cost savings – according to sustainable business experts Envirowise.
The call to action comes as Envirowise launches a free online training tool offering practical advice to help businesses do this. Available at www.envirowise.gov.uk/change, the tool covers a range of topics including how to gain support from employees and work with senior management. It allows local companies to pick and choose which elements of the training they make use of, according to their needs and available time. In addition, short video case studies give an insight to ‘culture change’ steps that other companies have implemented with positive results.
The release of the UK Climate Projections highlighted the need for the behaviour of individuals to change to help combat climate change – yet companies in the region may not be aware that collective staff action has the potential to drive through environmental improvements which can lead to significant savings for businesses – and perhaps as much as £1,000 per employee.
Elin Crebbin, Envirowise Regional Manager for Yorkshire and Humber, commented: “A company’s staff is one of its biggest assets when it comes to taking environmental action – without everyone pulling in the same direction, a business can never capitalise on the potential for cost savings that lie in making often simple and low cost steps towards sustainability. That’s where the interactive tool can help – by helping managers understand the changes they need to make within their own business.
“At the end of the day, a company’s environmental impact stems from all elements that make up that company – and that includes the actions of individual staff themselves. By ensuring that company culture has environmental issues at its heart, our region’s companies can realise substantial cost savings – something that is more important than ever in the current business climate.”
The training tool is available free-of-charge to any business and can be accessed at www.envirowise.gov.uk/change. Free, guidance on resource efficiency is also available from the Envirowise Advice Line on 0800 585 794.
For more information, please contact:
Rod Dennis or Davinia Livock at Trimedia on 0117 929 2311 or email rod.dennis@trimediauk.com or davinia.livock@trimediauk.com
Notes to Editors
About Envirowise
Envirowise is a Government-funded programme dedicated to putting the sustainable use of resources at the heart of UK business practice.
Since 1994 Envirowise has helped UK businesses save over £1bn by enabling them to significantly reduce their environmental footprints.
Envirowise offers businesses of all sizes and sectors a wide range of free, independent and practical advice designed to genuinely improve their processes, profitability and competitiveness. Services include:
· The Envirowise Advice Line on 0800 585 794
· An encyclopaedic website (http://www.envirowise.gov.uk) of valuable and relevant information
· Over 200 events each year, from Product Design Workshops to major exhibitions