Sustainability Helps to Cut Costs

iiE member Daventry District Council is setting the benchmark for other organisations when it comes to its commitment to the environment.

Being an iiE member is a recognised stamp of accreditation for the Council’s environmental work, demonstrating that the Council is responsible for making long-lasting environmental changes to uphold their green champion status.

Some of the most recent measures that have been taken towards environmental responsibility as part of the scheme include the implementation of a conference calling system, purchase of a satellite navigation system, a new electric pool car and new bicycle storage racks for employee and public use.

In addition, throughout 2015/16, Daventry District Council installed a new energy efficient gas boiler at the main office, switched to LED lighting in the council chamber and converted to a natural ventilation system to reduce the consumption of energy in-house. Through these measures, the Council has seen a total of 142 tonnes of CO2e saved since the previous year, which is a 6% reduction in total carbon use.

Overall, the Council has made significant progress since the previous year, with its biggest improvements being a reduction in paper usage of 23% and an increase in recycling by 40%. This is due to the Council regularly promoting employee reward initiatives around recycling, energy efficiency and green travel to work including the ‘Paper:LESS Challenge’, Green Wednesdays and switch-off activities.

Daventry District Council sees it as a high priority to ensure that employees are engaged and contributing towards its environmental vision. This is achieved by having a dedicated team of proactive Green Champions, known as the ‘Greener Healthier Workforce Team’, who actively encourage sustainability initiatives amongst the council employees.

Already, there has been a generous uptake in initiatives related to the Council’s environmental plan, with 22 staff taking up a more sustainable mode of transport.