‘Green Champions’ – Maximising the Potential

[Tristan_Parker]

The idea of using ‘green champions’ within a company – a voluntary group to engage staff with environmental issues – is a well-established technique, and often boosts motivation to engage with the environmental message in a number of ways; by creating a visible network of champions, other staff members then have a clear and specific point of contact for environmental suggestions and problems. Furthermore, by simply establishing a green champion, a natural source of creativity and innovation for environmental improvement ideas has also been created, which in turn should motivate others in the company. Lastly, as the post of green champion should always be a voluntary one, those individuals that do volunteer will often have a passionate interest in improving a company’s environmental performance, even before any work has begun.

There is also no need to stick to just one champion – in fact, assigning a team is often more effective than placing a large degree of responsibility in the hands of one individual. For example, the BBC has an extended, structured network of champions split into groups, each with responsibility for a different area. Yogesh Chauhan, Chief Adviser of Corporate Responsibility at the BBC, explains:

“We have a network of champions and ambassadors across the organisation. We have roughly 250 individuals who are essentially our eyes and ears on the ground and who cascade messages. So we have a group of ambassadors (who are our ‘meta champions’) who then look after a group of champions in a particular geographical area. What they do is relay information and messages about campaigns around the BBC.”

Clearly, the larger the organisation, the easier to implement and more effective this type of technique will be, but the basic principles can be applied to any company.

But what next for green champions – how can their potential be maximised? Constant encouragement and engagement – with other staff members and company directors – are key here. Without enough contact you risk letting the network become stagnated and ineffective. Thus; briefings, progress updates and new suggestions should all be taken regularly.

Importantly, the role of the champion(s) is not just to implement environmental improvement schemes by themselves (though this will be a part of the position). Instead, a green champions network should aim to motivate other staff to engage with the environmental message. A study published by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in 2009, detailing its Environmental Champion system – a voluntary network of ten staff – demonstrates this aspect particularly well:

“The role of the Environmental Champion was described as co-coordinating and facilitating initiatives under the wider EMS [Environmental Management System[ programme. They were not required to complete all the tasks by themselves; rather the Champions were to act as the focal point for communications, resources, action, programmes and training to create conditions for success. The Champion’s role is to motivate staff and increase colleagues’ understanding and knowledge of reasons for changing the way they work.”

Via a combination of formal training, regular briefings and meetings with specialists, and personal visits to observe outside established initiatives, the DCMS champion network used a variety of methods to communicate with other staff in the department, including guest speakers, lunch-time seminars, intranet quizzes and email updates on progress. The overall objective of the group was not just to implement their own initiatives, but also to “change staff behaviour to improve the department’s environmental performance.”

The results of this particular champion network were highly encouraging, and the group helped the DCMS to gain the crucial ISO 14001 accreditation for its EMS, with an additional programme partially developed by the network showing a 59 per cent increase in waste recycling.

A key role of the DCMS’s environmental champions was to help embed sustainability practices into the everyday activities of staff, hence the increase in waste recycling. This everyday aspect is a crucial one; although green champions can and should engage in specialist activities, their underlying value lies in improving the attitude and working practices of other staff, and setting a practical and easily applicable example. A green champions network can often be the most effective way of securing the quick pay-offs and low hanging fruit that man companies crave, EG: turning off equipment and lights when not in use/at the end of a working day; putting waste paper into a recycling bin rather than a standard waste receptacle; keeping printing to a minimum, etc. Though every company knows the value of these techniques, few get around to implementing them as often as they would like; a green champion network provides a visible face to carry out these tasks, which others are then far more likely to follow.

Finally, although the principle is simple enough, it can often be difficult to know where to begin such an exercise. In these circumstances, help can often be found through already established green champion networks, some of whom will provide guidance to other businesses in setting up a network. Local authorities are often helpful in this situation; the majority of councils will have their own network within the organisation – and sometimes within individual departments – and may be willing to advise other organisations on doing the same.

For example, Manchester City Council offers a “ready-made” green champions scheme for any business or organisation in the city, including information on setting up a network and recruiting volunteers, and leaflets, posters and other promotional items for use by the network. The scheme is designed to be tailored to the individual needs of the organisation in question and is free-of-charge (the council ask only to be credited with the project once it has begun). This knowledge-sharing element also means that organisations can benefit from the experience of other companies, avoiding potential pitfalls and ensuring that the network is set up in the most effective way possible.

Key questions:

- What do I want a green champion network to achieve in the company?
- What is the best way in which they can motivate other staff?
- How can I keep track of the progress the network is making?