Main navigation

Daily news

Employees call for more support to have 'green' offices

18 March 2008

The majority of Britain's workforces want to be more environmentally friendly but lack the support from employers to do so, a new survey has revealed.

Over two-thirds (70 per cent) of employees polled by the Carbon Trust said they want to cut their carbon emissions but need more guidance and empowerment from their bosses.

Changes in workplace practices hold huge potential to help the environment.

Office lights left on overnight use enough energy in a year to heat a home for almost five months and a computer left on overnight for a year creates enough carbon dioxide to fill a double-decker bus.

"You can put in a new energy-efficient boiler, or install low-energy light bulbs, and those will make a difference, but many of the measures that will have the biggest impact and achieve the greatest savings require buy-in across your workforce," said Hugh Jones, solutions director at the Carbon Trust.

He added that firms can save up to 20 per cent on their energy bills by adopting no-cost or cost-effective measures of energy efficiency, such as turning off PCs and lights at the end of the day.

Find out how the Energy Saving Trust can help you