Top 3 Reasons Our Company Started a Green Team (And Why You Should Too)

WWF’s Living Planet @ Work program helps to engage employees in sustainability at work. Read about one of our Living Planet @ Work champions who helped to build a green team at her office and the top 3 reasons she decided to do it.
By Carolyn Pinto, Project Manager, External Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility, Resolute Forest Products
In case you’re on the fence about starting a Green Team at your company, here are the top three reasons we decided to create one at the Resolute Forest Products head office in Montreal.
1)      We want to make a real difference.
We believe that simple gestures can have real impact. Our Green Team chose three key areas that line up with our Company’s sustainability targets – carbon management, water conservation and waste reduction. Then, we came up with easy but effective employee engagement initiatives that support and raise awareness around these issues.
For example, our first Green Team project was a simple “power down” campaign to educate our colleagues on the importance of switching off computer monitors and office lights at the end of the day. We conducted two “audits,” leaving candies for those who’d remembered, and after our third audit (coming up), we’ll be measuring our energy savings. This fall, we’ll be running an e-waste collection drive, hosting lunch n’ learns, and participating in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.
Through initiatives like these, you too can reduce your company’s environmental footprint while building a culture of sustainability with your employees.

2)      We’re engaging our employees.
By rallying our colleagues around a common goal, we’re giving them a chance to connect with each other, develop new skills, and feel good about the company. The members of Resolute’s Green Team come from various departments – Accounting, HR, Communications, Legal, Health and Safety, Audit, and Environment. This diversity is incredibly valuable, as we each contribute different abilities and perspectives, and together, we can reach a large number of employees across the organization.
We’re especially grateful for the support we get from Resolute’s top management. Our President and CEO, Richard Garneau, believes that sustainability fits with our business objectives and recognizes the benefits of having a Green Team.
In order to embed sustainability values throughout your company and successfully engage employees, you’ll need top-down support as well as grassroots initiatives.
3)      We’re demonstrating our commitment to sustainability.
Sustainability is one of our corporate values, and Resolute has set a number of ambitious sustainability goals at the corporate level. Through our Green Team, we are better able to communicate that commitment to sustainability both internally and externally.
Building a Green Team is a fun and easy way to share your company’s vision with your current (and future) employees, your partners and the public at large.
Resolute’s Green Team consists of 10 sustainability-minded employees who meet once a month. Our meetings are lively and inspiring, with ideas flying and concrete plans emerging. Resolute’s leadership team supports our efforts, and we’re encouraged by the level of engagement from our colleagues. Being part of a Green Team is an enriching experience, and I highly recommend it!
Interested in starting a workplace green team and want some tools and support to help you get started? Check out WWF’s Living Planet @ Work  program for tips, trivia, toolkits and ideas