We know that climate change and rising energy costs will affect us all, but hard-pressed voluntary organisations and community groups may find it hard to prioritise work on such issues. However we need to remember there is a strong link to issues of social justice – in the UK and around the world the poorest communities are disproportionately affected by climate change. This article gives you tips and ideas for how to develop a sustainable action plan for your organisation.
Things you'll need
- Inspirational green champion(s) within the organisation
- Clear messaging about what happens to the waste and why there is a need for a green action plan
Convene your green team
You could start by bringing together a few committed and influential people in your organisation. Include people involved in relevant areas such as finance, admin and purchasing.
Look at your use of energy, travel and other resources
In each case think about:
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How can you measure and report on how much you use?
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How and where can this be reduced?
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What can reasonably be achieved and over what time scale?
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Who will be responsible taking each action forward?
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Your plan doesn’t have to be complex - don’t forget there are many ‘quick wins’ that can be achieved with little time and effort – e.g. switching to low energy light bulbs and buying recycled paper. See the 1010 website for ideas.
Involve others
Share your draft plan with colleagues, trustees, members, volunteers and other stakeholders. Useful ideas and suggestions can come from anyone, and sharing your plan will increase ‘buy in’. Collect their views and feed them into a finalised and agreed action plan.
Review and celebrate
Bring your team together regularly to review progress and share ideas and concerns – review your plan at least annually. Don’t forget to share your successes and progress made, with colleagues, in your newsletter and annual report, and on your noticeboard.
Find out more
There are lots of resources out there, see the Sustainability pages on the NAVCA website. Don’t get overwhelmed – start with an achievable plan that will make a real difference to your organisation’s environmental impact and then build on your success as you go along. Good luck and don’t forget to celebrate!
Further information
- navca's environment sustainability page - lots of useful downloads
- Justact.org.uk
- 1010global.org
- Climate change and protecting the environment (direct.gov)
- Association for Decentralised Energy
- Energy Saving Trust
- Department of Energy and Climate Change
- Sustainable Development in Government (defra)
- Green Alliance
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