World Environment Day was first celebrated in 1973 to deepen public awareness of the need to preserve and enhance the environment. Today it’s widely celebrated in over 100 countries with a different theme each year. This year the World Environment Day theme is “Green Economy: Does it include you?”

Here are some suggestions on how you and your colleagues can help build a cleaner, greener world for yourselves and future generations:

    • Wear green clothes to work both in colour and product to show that you care about the environment.
    • Arrange a talk on global warming to create awareness.
    • Create awareness about carbon credit. Buying carbon credits enables businesses to offset their emissions to achieve carbon neutrality. Two reliable organisations that facilitate the buying of voluntary carbon credits are Credible Carbon and Food and Trees for Africa.
    • Get an expert to talk on renewable energy.
    • Save energy by turning off lights and monitors when not in use and lowering the aircon thermostat a few degrees.
    • Use natural light if possible.
    • Encourage management to buy energy-efficient light bulbs and office equipment and other locally made, ethically produced goods.
    • Save water by making sure you turn the tap off after use and report any leaking taps and toilets.
    • Recycle appropriate materials to reduce the impact of landfills as well as the demand on our natural resources to produce more materials.
    • Add some indoor plants. They not only affect your mood but also cool the air and suck up all the pollutants created by your computer.
    • Start a car-sharing scheme or take public transport. Cycle or walk to work where possible to inhibit carbon emissions.
    • Encourage management to plant more trees on the premises.
    • Use the waste generated in the workplace to start a compost heap and organic garden where employees may buy fresh vegetables and herbs.
    • Reduce the use of plastics.
    • Ask management to order an energy audit of your premises and buildings to see how more savings can be made.

These are only a few of the many activities you can engage in to celebrate World Environment Day, to live in harmony with the environment and to try and lessen your own, your community’s and your workplace’s carbon footprint.

 

Sources

www.citehr.com
www.conserve-energy-future.com