Kick the carbon habit

This year’s theme for the 2008 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) World Environment Day is Kick the Habit Towards a Low Carbon Economy.

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) commends this drive for changing attitudes and promoting effective carbon use behaviour — something VANOC and its partners will endeavour to achieve while hosting the 2010 Winter Games. VANOC entered into a partnership with UNEP in October 2007.

 “At VANOC, we are proud of the fact that we seize every opportunity to inspire action on local and global environmental challenges,” said John Furlong, VANOC Chief Executive Officer. “By collaborating with organizations such as UNEP, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games have the potential to show the world what’s possible when people come together on critical issues like climate change.”

While international World Environment Day 2008 celebrations are being held today in Wellington, New Zealand, UNEP is urging governments, companies and communities around the globe to focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and practice forest conservation and eco-friendly consumption. From an inter-school environmental quiz competition in Accra, Ghana, to the introduction of a reverse vending machine for aluminium cans and plastic bottles in St. John’s, Newfoundland, communities around the world are taking part in many different ways.

As part of celebrating Environment Week in Canada, VANOC has challenged its staff in Vancouver and Whistler to kick the carbon habit with a low emission commuter challenge and motivational sessions in efforts to meet VANOC’s carbon goal of reducing as many emissions as possible in preparation for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Street rallies, bicycles parades, green concerts, school essay and poster competitions, tree planting, recycling and clean-up campaigns are also happening in communities across the country this week.

“VANOC committed during the bid phase to manage the impact of our Games on the environment, including our impact on climate change,” said Linda Coady, VANOC vice president of sustainability. “Our Games have accepted the challenge of ensuring we neutralize our direct carbon emissions, and like many large organizations, our workforce plays a large role in helping us reach that goal.”

VANOC has been focused on reducingas many emissions as possible in Games-based planning, construction and operations through energy conservation and the use of fuel and energy sources that produce low or no emissions. That entails taking responsibility for carbon emissions related to the Games by implementing a carbon management program based on four guiding principles:

KNOW our carbon footprint, measure and track it

REDUCE our carbon emissions at their source as much as possible

OFFSET remaining emissions

INSPIRE and ENABLE others to take action on climate change

Here’s a list of five simple things that VANOC staff is encouraged to do during the workday to help the 2010 Winter Games reach its low emission goal:

1.       Reduce your paper use

Why: Saving paper saves emissions from energy use in printing, production, transport and disposal.

How: Set your printers to default to double-sided printing, print black and white instead of colour wherever possible, reuse paper as much as possible.

2.       Reduce your energy use

Why: Using less energy results in fewer emissions.

How: Shut down your computer at night, turn out your desk light when you leave for a meeting, take the stairs not the elevator, and draw your window shades on sunny days to maximize the efficiency of air conditioning.

3.       Reduce your waste

Why: There are emissions related to transport and energy in the handling of waste.

How: Recycle and compost as much as possible, order/procure materials with minimal packaging to avoid waste up-front, and use reusable lunch containers and travel mugs.

4.       Think about your commuting and fleet options

Why: Emissions from travel make up the biggest piece of our carbon footprint.

How: Minimize ground travel emissions by not idling, carpool with colleagues when feasible, video conference whenever possible to avoid travel and look for sustainable commuting options to and from work.

5.       Green your meetings and events 

Why: Teach others about your commitment to reducing your carbon footprint.

How: Deliver e-meetings using whiteboards and projection instead of paper, provide recycling options at the event, use reusable dishes over disposable and buy local to supply events to reduce emissions from transport.

There are many similar ways that businesses, communities and individuals can make a difference in the fight against climate change — it takes effort from everyone to find a solution to this global issue.

Over the coming year, VANOC will be working with partners such as the Province of British Columbia’s Climate Action Secretariat to engage all participants and spectators at the 2010 Winter Games in taking action on climate change.