Publication - Government of Alberta

greening government strategy
2011-12 Progress Report
contents
3Introduction
17 Department Implementation Results
5 Corporate Implementation Results
19 Department Implementation Features
13 Corporate Implementation Features
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consider the environment before printing this document.
government PROGRESS REPORT
2 • 2011-12 greening
Introduction
The Greening Government Strategy was implemented
in April 2010 to set the direction for the Government of
Alberta to become a greener organization. The purpose
of the strategy is to continuously reduce – in concrete
and measurable ways – any detrimental environmental
impacts that result from the Government of Alberta’s
operations and overall purchasing practices.
First-year implementation activities focused on building
a culture of green among staff, developing supports
to assist departments with greening and carrying out
government-wide greening initiatives. The 2010-11
progress report shared first-year implementation
achievements with staff and the public.
Second-year implementation in 2011-12 focused
on maintaining existing government-wide greening
initiatives, while continuing to build a stronger
“culture of green” among staff.
Broad department implementation of the strategy
began in April 2011; government-wide supports
were put in place and 16 departments developed
individual green plans to focus greening efforts
in their respective departments. Other highlights
include the launch of the Greening Government
SharePoint site for staff and recognition from
the Recycling Council of Alberta for excellence
in government leadership.
PURPOSE OF REPORT
This report highlights progress in implementing
activities that support the Greening Government
Strategy in 2011-12.
2011-12 greening government PROGRESS REPORT
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recycled content binders with a minimum
50% post-consumer recycled content within
the inner and outer layers
reusable lunch bag and water bottle
previously used binders
environmentally
certified cleaner
reusable
coffee
mug
retractable pens made
from 81% post-consumer
recycled content and
pen refill cartridges
reusable
cleaning
towel
previously used
file folders
file organizer
with 25%
post-consumer
recycled plastic
mini
garbage
bin
reusable
travel mug
EPEAT gold
certified
laptop
recycling
bin
electronic
“paperless”
organizer
scrap paper –
one side already used
calendar with
100% postconsumer
recycled content
notebook with
30% post-consumer
recycled content
snack in reusable
container - yum!
desk chair –
made of 37% recycled content
and is 98% recyclable by weight
32 per cent of the total funds used to purchase office supplies by government
government were
PROGRESS
REPORT
4 • 2011-12 greening
departements
for green
products.
Corporate Implementation
Results
Corporate
Implementation
The Government of Alberta implementation team
(consisting of Environment and Sustainable Resource
Development (ESRD), Service Alberta, Infrastructure,
and Treasury Board and Finance), continued to
oversee government-wide implementation in
2011-12 by providing direction and support to
departments with information, tools, and best practices.
Key achievements are outlined below.
Launching the Strategy
Led by ESRD
Strategy Launch
The strategy was launched to government staff
on April 18, 2011. All departments were encouraged
to communicate a “Champion’s Message” from
the Deputy Ministers of ESRD, Infrastructure,
Service Alberta and Treasury Board and Finance
to their staff. In the message, the Champions:
• Encouraged staff to get involved with the strategy
and recognized the role staff plays in making green
choices at work;
• Recommended all departments develop green
plans, measure and report-on their success
over time; and
• Informed staff that government-wide supports
and educational materials were being developed.
Greening Government SharePoint Site
The Greening Government SharePoint site was
introduced in conjunction with the strategy’s launch,
giving government staff access to resources for
greening their workplace and daily business practices.
A separate department lead section was developed to
assist them with implementation in their department.
• Approximately 2,220 unique individuals accessed
the site during its first year (about 10 new users per
business day).
• Service Alberta added a quick-link for staff to access
the Greening Government site on a government-wide
staff resource page.
2011-12 greening government PROGRESS REPORT
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Corporate Implementation
Results
Greening our Culture
Led by ESRD
Education, Outreach and Communications
• Promoted a list of 14 green activities for staff
to adopt at work.
Developing Capacity
for all Government of
Alberta Departments
Led by ESRD
• Distributed educational materials and tools to staff
across government via the Government of Alberta
Connector newsletter and the Greening Government
SharePoint site.
Department Lead Network
• Assisted departments with distributing specific
messaging for government-wide green events,
including the strategy’s launch, Environment Week
and the 2010-11 progress report.
• Three workshops were held throughout the year.
• Implemented a communications plan that
focused on the strategy’s launch.
ESRD coordinated the department lead network,
which consists of department leads who regularly meet
to share implementation updates with their colleagues.
• Green planning tools were available to department
leads on the Greening Government SharePoint site.
• A half-day department lead tour of the
City of Edmonton’s Waste Management
Centre of Excellence was organized.
Department Lead Tour of the Edmonton Waste
Management Centre of Excellence
6 • 2011-12 greening government PROGRESS REPORT
Corporate Implementation
Demonstrating Leadership
• ESRD’s green plan was made available to all
government staff on the Greening Government
SharePoint site – other departments were
encouraged to use this plan as a template.
Greening Government Conference
• Participated remotely in the spring (Toronto)
and fall (Ottawa) sessions of the 2nd Annual
Greening Government Conference.
Presentations and Speakers
• Provided strategy related presentations to four
departments and partnered with Service Alberta
on a lunch-and-learn about the 2010-11
progress report.
• Presented at the Alberta CARE and the Recycling
Council of Alberta’s 2011 annual conferences.
• Facilitated a presentation from the City of Edmonton,
which was attended by 42 government staff.
The presentation highlighted the city’s waste
management system.
Results
Greening our Procurement
Led by Service Alberta
Green Standing Offers
• Green standing offer requirements were maintained
in 2011-12 for copy paper, new computers and
notebooks, monitors and pre-printed stationary.
• All photocopiers and printers on standing offer
were ENERGY STAR® compliant.
• Mandatory criteria were included in standing offers
for printers: printer manufacturers must be ISO
14001:2004 certified and the printers support
double-sided printing.
• All new furniture purchases, except chairs,
on standing offer were processed through
Alberta Infrastructure in order to enable recycling
and reconfigurations from existing inventory and
standardization of furniture purchases versus
new purchases.
New computers and notebooks were available
on green standing offer.
2011-12 greening government PROGRESS REPORT
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Corporate Implementation
Results
Corporate Reporting Systems
for Green Purchasing
• Office supply vendors provided Service Alberta
with quarterly reports which identified green items
and supported reporting on green purchases
by department.
• 32 per cent of the total funds used to purchase
office supplies by government departments were
for green products.
»» Green items are identified in office supply vendor
catalogues as items that meet or exceed at least
one of the following criteria: are certified through
a third party eco label; are made from material
which is less harmful to the environment; or are
made from re-used or water based materials in
order to conserve natural resources.
Greening our Surplus Sales
Led by Service Alberta
surplus asset disposals
Highlights of the Surplus Sales program from 2011-12:
• 27,538 items were sold in daily cash and carry sales
in Edmonton and Calgary.
• 1,177 items were sold at 103 sales in areas outside
of Edmonton and Calgary.
• 40,974 items were sold through auction.
• 1,244 items were redeployed back in to service
within government.
• 319 tonnes of scrap metal was recycled.
• 14,673 end-of-life computers and other electronic
items weighing 105 tonnes were recycled through
Alberta’s provincial electronics recycling program.
Computers for Schools
• 13,687 computers and related equipment were
donated to the Computers for Schools program.
Surplus Sales warehouse, Edmonton:
cash and carry sales floor.
8 • 2011-12 greening government PROGRESS REPORT
Corporate Implementation
Results
Greening our Vehicle Fleet
Led by Service Alberta
Hybrids
Replacement Vehicles
• As of March 31, 2012, the government fleet
consisted of approximately 3,100 vehicles,
including 87 hybrid vehicles.
• 81 vehicles were replaced with new models.
These new models were, on average, 20 per cent
more fuel efficient than the ones they replaced.
This is estimated to have reduced carbon emissions
by 127 tonnes.
• When purchasing new vehicles, hybrids were
available in only three of the five vehicle categories:
cars, trucks and SUVs.
Existing Fleet
Best in Class
A Best-in-Class rating system identifies the most
suitable vehicles for each vehicle type (e.g. cars,
trucks, SUVs). For the 2011 and 2012 model years,
fuel economy was one of four criteria considered
in the Best-in-Class rating system (the other criteria
being purchase price, reliability and safety).
• A preventative maintenance program ensures
vehicles will last as long as possible and maintain
optimal fuel efficiency.
• Through vehicle pooling, sharing and reduction
strategies, 10 vehicles were identified as no longer
required and were removed from the government fleet.
New Vehicle Purchases
• 61 of the 93 new vehicles added to the government
fleet in 2011-12 were rated Best-in-Class.
The Government fleet had 87 hybrid vehicles,
including the truck pictured above.
2011-12 greening government PROGRESS REPORT
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Corporate Implementation
Results
Greening our Buildings
& Infrastructure
Led by Alberta Infrastructure
Greening our Buildings
Improving Reuse and Recycling
• 84 government-owned buildings in total were
certified BOMA BESt, including two buildings
(the Red Deer & Rocky Mountain House Provincial
Buildings) that achieved BOMA BESt Level 4,
the highest level of certification.
• 816 pieces of furniture and 193 workstations were
redistributed throughout government as part of
the Recycled Furniture program, resulting in a cost
savings to government of $892,791.
• 25 leased facilities were certified BOMA BESt
and landlords of leased facilities were encouraged
to participate in green initiatives (e.g. recycling).
• Daytime Caretaking practices were used in
16 buildings to take advantage of lighting and
heating systems that were already operating.
• Lighting, in addition to heating, ventilation and air
conditioning systems in most government-owned
office spaces were adjusted to coincide with work
hours. This initiative reduced the government’s total
energy use by approximately 5-6 per cent from
pre-2010 levels.
• The LEED Silver standard was maintained for all new
government construction over $2.5 million, including
major renovations.
The Royal Tyrell Museum
of Palaeontology in
Drumheller, Alberta
achieved BOMA BESt
Level 2.
10 • 2011-12 greening government PROGRESS REPORT
• The tenant standard lease was updated to include
a provision stating that landlords shall provide a
paper recycling program for non-shredded waste
papers and other recyclable goods (e.g. glass,
plastic and metal) to the extent that recycling
services are available in a particular community.
• 13,400 lamps, 2,256 kilograms of batteries and
796 kilograms of lighting ballasts were collected
for recycling from both owned and leased buildings
during the 2011 calendar year.
Corporate Implementation
Confidential Document and
License Plate Recycling
(Led by Service Alberta)
• 949 metric tonnes of paper was securely recycled
through the locked-bin program. 692 locked bins
for confidential record disposal were located at
49 Government of Alberta offices.
»» Based on information from the Bureau of International
Recycling, the Government of Alberta approximately
saved the following through its locked-bin paper
recycling program: 30,000 trees, 3,800 MWh
of energy, 1,600 barrels of oil, 24.6 million litres
of water and 3,300 cubic metres of landfill space.
• 16.83 tonnes of old license plates were collected
and recycled from Albertans.
Results
Greening Property and Infrastructure
Management Purchases
• The Government of Alberta continued to purchase
100 per cent of its electricity requirements from
green sources that are EcoLogo® certified
(excluding sites that can not access grid electricity).
In 2011-12, government green power contracts
avoided the release of over 212,000 tonnes of
greenhouse gas (calculated based on 2009 figures
from Environment Canada).
• Eco-logo® and/or Green Seal™ cleaning products
were specified for all government caretaking
contracts.
Establishing How
We’re Doing
Led by ESRD
Collecting Qualitative and
Quantitative Implementation Data
• The Shades of Green pilot program was developed
as a tool to measure and report on green actions
taken by staff. The tool also provides an opportunity
to recognize staff for their achievements and provide
recommendations on future activities. The program
will continue to be piloted in 2012-13 and 2013-14.
Locked bin for confidential document recycling.
2011-12 greening government PROGRESS REPORT
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13,687 computers and related equipment were donated to the
government
REPORT
12 • 2011-12 greening
Computers
for PROGRESS
Schools program.
corporate Implementation
features
Celebrating the Environment
Led by ESRD
Environment Week (June 5-11, 2011)
A series of staff events were held to celebrate
Environment Week and the launch of the strategy.
Three government-wide events were held and
departments were encouraged to host local events
and contests.
Greening Government Game Show
• The Greening Government Game Show was
an environment-themed trivia contest where
12 departments and one public agency participated.
It boasted a host, authentic contestant buzzers and
score clocks.
Taylor Daum, Enterprise and Advanced Education receives a
Greening Government Game Show prize from Scott Nicol, ESRD
Peter Groot and AnneMarie Lyseng,
Alberta Education, participate in the
Greening Government Game Show
Anoushka Fernandes, Shan Pletcher and Mark Summers, ESRD,
pose with their Greening Government Game Show prizes
2011-12 greening government PROGRESS REPORT
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corporate Implementation
features
One Simple Act @ Work Survey
Green Teams Map
• The One Simple Act @ Work Survey was
completed by 161 staff from 17 departments,
where participants were asked to select green
activities they currently engage in during their
work day and commit to an additional activity
for the remainder of the year.
• Staff were encouraged to register their local green
teams for the Green Teams Map, an interactive map
on the Greening Government SharePoint site that
allows any staff member to locate the nearest green
team to them. Fourteen local green teams registered.
Angelique Roth, Service Alberta, One Simple Act @ Work prize winner
Michelle Roth, Alberta Infrastructure,
Green Teams Map prize winner
Department Events
• Ten departments hosted green activities and
contests at various locations across the province.
Waste Reduction Week
(October 17-21, 2011)
Two government-wide events were held during
Waste Reduction Week:
• A trivia contest was hosted on the Greening
Government SharePoint site with a new question
posted each day. Eighty-eight staff participated.
Kim Rowe, Alberta Culture, One Simple Act @
Work prize winner
14 • 2011-12 greening government PROGRESS REPORT
• A Benefits of Composting presentation was attended
by 30 staff over lunch.
corporate Implementation
features
Being Recognized
Provided by the Recycling Council of Alberta
R’s of Excellence Award
In October 2011, the Government of Alberta was
awarded an ‘R’s of Excellence Award’ for government
leadership from the Recycling Council of Alberta.
This award recognizes all government staff involved in
implementing the strategy and highlights department
and government-wide green initiatives such as
purchasing 100 per cent of electricity requirements
from green sources that are EcoLogo™ certified;
collecting batteries, ballasts, lamps and mercury
devices for recycling; redistributing surplus items within
government for reuse; and formation of department
green teams to promote green activities in their
departments. The R’s of Excellence awards are
open to nominations from all Albertans and recognize
outstanding contributions to waste reduction, recycling
and resource conservation in Alberta.
Back Row: (Michael Fleming, Dustin Engel,
Jennifer Martin, Dave Hardwick, Scott Kashuba)
Front Row: (Scott Nicol and Giselle Beaudry)
accept the R’s of Excellence Award on behalf
of the Government of Alberta
2011-12 greening government PROGRESS REPORT
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16
•
16 departments completed green plans and five departments were developing
green
plans. Departments
were encouraged to incorporate the use of re-usable
2011-12 greening
government
PROGRESS REPORT
dishes into their green plans.
department Implementation
Results
Department
Implementation
Department
Lead Workshops
Voluntary department implementation began in
April 2011. Each department decided how involved
they wanted to be with greening and selected the
implementation approach that best suited their needs:
from supporting ongoing communications about
the strategy to developing a department green plan.
Key results are outlined below.
Department leads attended three workshops,
which allowed them to share implementation
updates with their colleagues:
Department
Green Planning
In the previous year, 2010-11, 13 departments
committed to green planning. Departments were
encouraged to develop green plans as a best practice
during 2011-12, with the following progress made:
• 16 departments developed green plans:
12 were implementing and four were seeking
executive approval.
Workshop Date
Workshop Theme
July 2011
• Green planning
• A review of the Greening
Government site
November 2011
• Green purchasing
March 2012
• Education and outreach
• Evaluating the Department
Lead Network
• An overview of the draft
Shades of Green
measurement tool
• Five departments were developing their green plans.
2011-12 greening government PROGRESS REPORT
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Tourism, Parks and Recreation championed videoconferencing using Cisco™
2011-12 greening
PROGRESS
REPORT
andgovernment
Microsoft based
systems.
department Implementation
features
Departments in Action
Departments embraced implementation
in 2011-12. The following stories highlight
department green successes.
Our Green Plan pushes us to institute an even greener
culture and demonstrates our commitment to the
Cabinet-approved Greening Government Strategy.
Rick Brown, past ESRD Executive Champion for the Green Plan
Green success: leading the way,
enhancing a culture of green
Submitted by ESRD
As part of the actions outlined in the Department Green
Plan, activities were hosted during Environment Week
that educated, empowered and engaged staff to go
green. These activities included a free-cycle, community
cleanup, potluck and green-themed workshops.
ESRD Freecycle at Oxbridge Place in Edmonton. Staff were
asked to bring in items they no longer needed and exchange
them for items they could take home.
ESRD Spruce Grove office’s “Plant
and Everything Else Exchange” during
Environment Week. Half of the proceeds
went to the Tree Canada Foundation’s
Alberta Mountain Pine Beetle ReLeaf program.
Kevin Nipp, Glenn Gustafson, Neil Hollands and Chiadih Chang,
ESRD Spruce Grove office, sift compost from their office composter.
2011-12 greening government PROGRESS REPORT
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department Implementation: features
Green Promotion Day: Getting the Word
Out About Greening Government
Submitted by Alberta Health
The Alberta Health Green Team raised awareness
about environmentalism during a special environment
themed event. Two green booths were set-up that
featured Greening Government posters with a ‘3Rs’
(reduce, reuse and, recycle) theme. Members of the
green team approached employees as they arrived
at work and asked them a green skill-testing question.
All who participated received a free biodegradable pen.
The event also succeeded in piquing interest among
Health staff about a lunch-and-learn presentation by
the City of Edmonton later in the month. This event was
attended by about 50 department staff. Both events
proved to be a successful fit with the Department
Green Plan, which encourages employees to regularly
practice simple, environmentally friendly actions to
build a green government culture.
Lynn Kostenuk, Charlene Wong, Liz Forbes, Karen Hunter and
Steven Aurther, Alberta Health, at Health’s environment themed event
Greening Government Display at Health’s
environment themed event
20 • 2011-12 greening government PROGRESS REPORT
department Implementation: features
Environmental Tips, Expo
and Strategic Meetings
Submitted by Alberta Infrastructure
Infrastructure’s Department Implementation Team
enjoyed a busy year in 2011-12 as a draft of the
Department Green Plan was being finalized and
environmentally focused activities were ramped up.
A number of events were successfully hosted in
support of national and international causes, including
Environment Week, Earth Hour and Waste Reduction
Week. Highlights from these events included a
‘Tip of the Day’ email initiative, an Eco-Expo and the
Properties Division’s annual Environmental Meeting.
The Tip of the Day ran during Waste Reduction Week
and focused on providing helpful ideas for reducing
waste in the workplace. It featured “real-life examples”
of department staff carrying out these initiatives in fun
and innovative ways. The Eco-Expo, hosted during
Earth Day and in partnership with Alberta Transportation,
was attended by over 200 government staff and
featured 21 environmental and sustainability focused
information booths. The annual Environmental Meeting
engaged over 150 staff in a dedicated “roll out” of the
Greening Government Strategy, followed by brainstorming
sessions for departmental implementation. The feedback
garnered from this meeting was helpful in developing
the draft Department Green Plan.
Alberta Infrastructure’s
2011 Earth Day Eco-Expo.
Green Planning Leadership
Submitted by Alberta Justice and Solicitor General
Alberta Justice and Solicitor General uploaded their
Green Plans to the Greening Government SharePoint site
for all government staff to access. Solicitor General also
reported on its green accomplishments. The following
are some results of Solicitor General’s activities:
• Battery, toner cartridge and paper recycling
Baseline information for all Solicitor General
occupied buildings was collected, with a goal of
increasing staff access to and usage of recycling
infrastructure. Results showed 92 per cent
of worksites recycled batteries, 93 per cent
of worksites recycled toner cartridges and
89 per cent of worksites recycled shredded paper.
• Reducing the environmental impact of travel
Staff from the Sheriffs and Security Operations
Branch was encouraged to use alternative modes
and methods of transportation to minimize travel.
A communications campaign was employed and
information was included on the department’s intranet
site. Results showed 674 planned meetings and
discussions were conducted via videoconference
throughout the province, which saved approximately
$67,704 in fuel costs.
Video conferencing equipment, similar to above,
was used by the Sheriffs and Securities Operations
Branch for 674 meetings, saving $67,704 in
fuel costs.
2011-12 greening government PROGRESS REPORT
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department Implementation: features
• Reducing the purchase, use and disposal
of polystyrene containers
Polycarbonate cups were purchased as an alternative
to polystyrene. The initiative was encouraged at
correctional centers and Staff College (where security
concerns allowed). These cups are reusable and
contributed to a significant cost savings.
Championing Videoconferencing
Submitted by Tourism, Parks and Recreation
Tourism, Parks and Recreation championed
videoconferencing for the Parks Division program
using Cisco TANDBERG™ and Microsoft based
systems (e.g. LiveMeeting). Staff was able to make
use of the Government of Alberta’s SuperNet
Videoconferencing system, which permits users
to have face-to-face communication in real time
without leaving the office. Since 2008, the department
has provided an educational video conferencing
service for students and teachers in Alberta Schools
equipped with videoconferencing capabilities that
lets them access the Government of Alberta’s
SuperNet Videoconferencing system.
Also during 2011-12: the department hosted
a presentation from the City of Edmonton, which
was attended by 20 department staff; conducted
research into the recycling of one-pound green
propane canisters; promoted waste reduction and
recycling with new Canadians through the Nature
as a Second Language program; and used bicycles,
and occasionally horses, to patrol provincial parks.
Solicitor General replaced polystyrene cups with
reusable polycarbonate at correctional centres and
Staff College (where security concerns allowed).
22 • 2011-12 greening government PROGRESS REPORT
Acknowledgements
Government of Alberta Implementation Team Members
Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development
Patrick Kane
Alberta Infrastructure
Dustin Engel
Service Alberta
Michael Fleming Dave Hardwick
Treasury Board and Finance
Scott Kashuba
Implementation Team – Secretariat Support
Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development
Giselle Beaudry
Shelleen Lakusta
Jennifer Martin
Scott Nicol
2011-12 greening government PROGRESS REPORT
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Comments, questions or suggestions regarding the content of this document can be directed to:
Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development
Email: [email protected]
Alberta Infrastructure
Email: [email protected]
Service Alberta
Email (Corporate Purchasing): [email protected]
Email (Surplus Sales Program): [email protected] or [email protected]
ISBN No: 978-1-4601-0817-8 (On-line)