SRD has recently developed a Green Office program, which demonstrates our commitment to sustainability through a strategic plan of actions we undertake around the office to reduce our impact on the environment and our contribution to climate change. It includes a wide range of activities, such as reducing electricity use through turning off lights and computers when not in use, and incentives for staff to ride a bicycle or take the bus to work.
SRD already has many practices around the office that minimize our environment impact. The Green Office program ties these together, as well as adding more activities into a comprehensive action plan that aims to make a real difference to SRD's impacts.
On 6 April, 2012, SRD's new Green Office program was launched to all staff. The workshop included interactive brainstorming sessions to receive feedback and comments from all staff, which were considered in the revised Green Office Guide.
Staff established a Green Team, where one member from each of SRD's functions has taken on added responsibility to monitor the Green Office action plan, and support the Green Office coordinator.
The Green Office program was received positively by all SRD staff members, including the Executive Director Vu Thi Bich Hop, who commented that she would fully support the program, and committed to all the actions in the action plan to make a personal difference. Each staff member gave a commitment of one new action they would start to support Green Office, such as riding a bicycle to work several times a week, sharing SRD's Green Office program with SRD partners, and applying some of the Green Office actions in their home.
After the workshop, SRD staff shared a vegetarian lunch. SRD's Green Office Coordinator, Nguyen Thu Trang, said that she was pleased with much people has supported the plan, and suggested further solutions. "Green Office is a great opportunity for SRD, but we can only succeed if all staff commit to the process. We have tried to make the program fun and appealing for staff, rather than an additional challenge for their already busy workloads. With such fantastic support and engagement from staff, I feel really optimistic that SRD can really make a difference", she said.
Green Office Coordinator, Nguyen Thu Trang, summarizing the Green Office workshop brainstorm
-SRD-
Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD)
No.31, Alley 19 Kim Dong Street, Hoang Mai District, Ha Noi
Phone: +84 24 3943 6676/78 | Fax: +84 24 3943 6449
