U.K. Environment Agency’s sustainability measures point the way for other organizations

by Shane Henson — August 24, 2011—Facilities managers looking for ways to reduce their company’s environmental footprint while setting realistic goals can take notes from the U.K.’s Environment Agency, whose simple but innovative measures have helped the organization reduce its CO2 emissions by almost a fifth since 2006.

The Environment Agency measures its environmental performance in five key areas, with ambitious 2015 targets set for each. New figures in the organization’s first internal environment management update show that the 2006-2011 performance on each is:

  • Office waste: Reduced by 18%, 66% less to landfill
  • Mileage: Reduced by 33%, 19 million fewer miles per year
  • Carbon dioxide: A 17% reduction in emissions
  • Buildings’ energy: A 15 % reduction in use
  • Mains water: An 18 % reduction

The Environment Agency’s internal environment management update shows the ways in which the reductions have been made:

  • Cleaner vehicles have been introduced, which has helped contribute to the reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Also, water-saving technology has been installed in many of the agency’s buildings and this has resulted in 12,000 m3 less water being used than five years ago.
  • Vehicle mileage was reduced by helping staff make more sustainable travel choices. Office waste has been reduced through a combination of improved recycling facilities and awareness raising with staff.
  • Various other technologies have been introduced across the Environment Agency to reduce energy. For example, voltage optimization is being used across 40 environment agency sites, cutting energy use on average by 8% at those sites. This energy-saving technique brings U.K. electrical equipment down to 220 volts, which it is designed for; this also improves the life of the equipment.
  • Automatic meter reading is being used at 500 sites, which accounts for around 90% of total consumption. The new system allows for better real time energy monitoring and management, reduces staff time in taking readings at remote sites, and results in accurate billing by our energy suppliers.