developing an action plan
Alan & Anita's 10 point guide for developing and implementing your Carbon Action Plan (CAP)
1. Get support for the idea. Making your CAP a success is dependent on getting your colleagues' support - no matter where they sit within your organisation. See the Fair Shares, Fair Choice resources for how to engage senior management in the benefits of going low carbon as well as for ideas to get all staff on board!
2. Once you've established broad support for developing a CAP - identify the key sources of CO2 emissions. Detailed surveys can be undertaken, some (depending on your sector, energy use, size of organisation and location) are provided free – check out the Fair Shares, Fair Choice CAPs on energy, travel and procurement for details of specialist support. If you’re short on time, decide to concentrate on some key sources of CO2 – from energy use, transport and more widely on procurement and your organisation’s consumption.
3. Having identified your organisation’s key sources of CO2, draw up a draft plan, detailing what action is going to be taken and a proposed timetable for delivering this. Our CAPs on energy, travel and procurement offer a range of practical advice, from easy wins/things you can today to actions requiring a longer term commitment. We suggest you start with the easy wins and receive the benefits of a lower carbon approach straight away!
4. Ask staff for their views on the draft plan - they may have some great carbon cutting ideas to offer. This is also an opportunity to enlist their support for taking forward particular activities.
5. Amend the plan to take into account staff feedback and identify people responsible for key carbon cutting activities. You should include some realistic targets to work towards.
6. Depending on the size of your organisation and any individuals who show a real enthusiasm for implementing the CAP, you may wish to establish a CAP champion or champions to help keep progress in everyone’s minds.
7. Give your CAP a high profile within your organisation – a CAP champion at senior level should help provide the vital leadership needed to achieve some significant results!
8. Regularly monitor and review progress on implementing your CAP – this could include addressing any barriers to progress.
9. Report on success – this should be both internally to your staff and externally to your customers and shareholders. Taking action on climate change will win you support from both customers and your stakeholders alike! Why not share your story in workplace stories?
10. And finally… be prepared to take a few risks AND support others to do so too. Be positive if your boss or manager wants to try out some new carb-busting initiative!
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