An excellent environmental policy should encompass the company’s commitment to reducing the impact it has on the environment it operates in. The policy should be the foundation for future decision making and have top management buy in.

When taking the decision to implement an environmental policy the following items should be taken into consideration:

1)     The policy needs to be written in a way that all stakeholders – staff, clients, and others – can understand it.

2)     The policy should be structured with achievable objectives that will show amongst other things how applying greening practices will reduce overheads.

3)     The focus should be on reducing and minimising the environmental impact before recycling and off setting. Certification such as ISO14001 would be a great driver towards carbon neutrality.

4)     There needs to be accountability from staff and management. A green team or committee should be established to keep the policy alive and active through reporting on and revising it to ensure it stays timely as the company grows.

5)     The document needs to be integrated into all other policies and procedures and communicated accordingly.

6)     Communicate any green credentials to stakeholders as part of a Public Relations exercise.

7)     Select a third party company such as Shades of Green Events to assess the company’s carbon footprint. It is important to have a benchmark to work from when setting measurable goals. This will allow the company to measure and report on its success with concrete figures.

An excellent environmental policy can have many rewards for a company and is a valuable and worthwhile investment. Not only will the company reduce its overheads it can also benefit with securing potential tenders or deals with companies or governments that are already taking a stand. Let the people who know what works help your company in implementing an Environmental Policy. Shades of Green Events are ready to assist.

For more information on how Shades of Green Events can assit you to develop an environmental policy for your company, visit the following link:

http://www.shadesofgreenevents.co.za/environmental-policy-development/

For more information on carbon footprint assessments and offsets visit Shades of Green’s web link below:

http://www.shadesofgreenevents.co.za/carbon-footprint-assessments/