Charnwood Borough Council

Green Travel Plans

Traffic levels on Britain's roads have risen by over 80% in the last 20 years this is increasing making Traffic pollution one of the biggest contributors to raising CO2 levels in the UK.
The overriding aim of a Green Travel Plan is to consider all the transport choices available and the impact those choices may have. There are many benefits of Green Travel Plans including:

• Reducing the heavy flow of traffic therefore reducing the risk of accidents and pollution levels
• Increased walking benefits health helping reduce obesity and risk of coronary heart disease
• Increasing the market for public transport
• Exercise also improves the quality of life and mental well-being
• Reduce the stress of finding parking spaces near your work place

For more information about Green Travel Plans contact

Green Office

There are some very simple things you can do around your office to reduce the negative impact you have on the environment.
For example:

• Use 100 % recycled paper
• Energy efficiency lighting and heating
• Movement sensitive lighting so lighting is only on when it is required
• Waste Recycling - do you have a recycled waste contract?
• Energy Efficient appliances

Renewable Energy

Why not make the switch at Work?

As a country, the UK is the world's seventh biggest energy user. Every year we use the equivalent of 4,000 litres of oil for every person in the country and our demand for energy is increasing. More and more of our appliances are electric, battery or fuel powered.

Our dependence on fossil fuels will inevitably have to change. As reserves run out or become uneconomic to extract renewable energies are the only option - even if there were not other considerations The main problem with fossil fuels is not that they are running out, but that they release carbon dioxide when burnt - the main cause of global warming and climate change. Other forms of pollution - sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide -are also emitted by fossil fuels.

Alternatives to the fossil fuels are all around us. Boundless energy can be harvested from the sun, the wind, flowing water and other natural sources. These renewable energies won't run out and what's more, they don't cause pollution.

Make the switch to renewable energy, it's clean, efficient and may also be cheaper than your current energy supplier. For more information look on the Friends of the Earth website for their top 10 renewable Energy suppliers www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/climate/issues/green_energy/

Environmental Management Systems

Environmental Management Systems (EMS's) can be a helpful tool to mitigate against your companies impact on the environment. Evidence of EMS's many also win you new business as increasingly potential customers with be looking for evidence of environmental best practise within their supply chain.

For further information on Environmental Management Systems contact the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment

Fairtrade Workplace

Why not convert your workplace to Fairtrade!

Tea and coffee are two of the most important ingredients in any successful business. Fairtrade does what it says on the label; it guarantees a better deal to producers in the developing world so why not make the change to Fairtrade. Switching to Fairtrade also demonstrates your business values people and acting fairly. For further information about converting to Fairtrade contact Fairtrade Foundation

Useful Links

• Leicestershire Environmental Business Club (LEBC) hold networking seminars on current and up coming environmental legislation

Contact details - John Storer House, Wards End, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3HA. Telephone 01509 219531, Email action@enviro4change.freeserve.co.uk

• Environwise - The Envirowise website is packed full of information to help you make savings in your company. Every year, the Envirowise Programme helps thousands of businesses across the UK improve profits. It has published more than 350 publications, run around 200 events per year and have helped save British businesses more than £797 million.

• Environment Agency
• How to contact the Council on Sustainability Issues