If you've made a personal commitment to saving energy and maintaining a greener earth, you might also consider the benefits of bringing some of those habits and practices into your local government office. The Greening Household Behaviour survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showed that almost one in five households said they weren't even aware of what recycling collection services were available in their area. That's a pretty good indication that we can all do a better job of being environmentally friendly at home and at work.
While there are plenty of global reasons for working toward a cleaner environment, creating an environmentally friendly workplace in local government may produce benefits that you may not have thought of.
Your local citizens are bound to take notice that government staff and elected officials are committed to improving the environment and sustainability. Local governments that actively promote green practices show their citizens the importance of becoming environmentally friendly. The changes provide a healthy model for citizens to emulate and may encourage them to change some of their own wasteful habits at home.
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Not only will citizens be inspired by local governments that demonstrate a commitment to environmentally healthy practices, local businesses may get on the bandwagon and make changes within their businesses to operate in a more environmentally friendly manner. As customers or clients of local businesses begin to see the value in green lifestyle changes, they're bound to become loyal customers of businesses that opt to go green.
Be careful not to overlook the perspectives of the Millennial generation. According to a Nielsen study, up to 72% of consumers aged 15-20 said they were willing to pay more for products and services from environmentally friendly companies. Our iCompass survey indicated that most local governments anticipated a 66% turnover in staff over the next 10 years. Millennials are bound to make up the bulk of your workforce in the coming decade. Local governments that make moves toward an environmentally friendly workplace will be more likely to attract the best talent.
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iCompass, a Diligent brand, offers the best ways to be environmentally friendly while enhancing meeting efficiency and keeping citizens strongly connected to their local government.
Benefits to Environmentally Friendly Governments
The reality is that local governments that promote a green-friendly culture in the workplace inspire their citizens and local businesses to reduce their carbon footprint as well. The impact of the total effort has an exponential effect that creates a win-win situation for everyone. The IBM Center for The Business of Government states that there are numerous recent studies and media accounts that show how companies are moving toward green production, with the goal of improving the environment. Such companies are boasting significant financial benefits as a result of their efforts. The changes are proving to be efficient and cost-effective. Most importantly, the impact of their efforts is being enjoyed generally by society.4 Simple Ways to Create an Environmentally Friendly Local Government Workplace
According to the OECD, it's relatively easy to develop an environmentally friendly atmosphere in local government offices when you think about categorizing green practices into five distinct areas, including:- Energy
- Water
- Transportation
- Food
- Waste
Things the government can do to help the environment
Here are four practical ways to be environmentally friendly in your municipality:-
Encourage Environmentally Friendly Employee Practices
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Making Environmentally Friendly Changes in Local Government Facilities
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Foster Clean Commute Initiatives
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Software Solutions Help to Reduce the Local Government Carbon Footprint
Ways to Share Your Environmentally Friendly Efforts Publicly
It's likely that your efforts to go green won't go unnoticed. As long as you're making the effort to create big changes, take the time to promote the benefits of creating an environmentally friendly workplace by writing an informative post about it on your Civic Web Portal, a citizen page that seamlessly integrates with your local government website. It's a fantastic way to demonstrate to citizens how small changes can generate a big impact on our environment.![](/-/media/project/diligent/master/au-whitepaper-images/whitepaper-images/a-buyers-guide-to-esg-data-management-software.png?h=511&iar=0&w=765&rev=263be577-e761-4e63-96ef-8ab461f2c7d1&hash=35A71501C65320AF30D85580C75077F4)
Media Highlights
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues have become more complex and multifaceted than ever before. At the same time, ESG continues to ascend on board and leadership agendas.
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