Save money and the environment

Whether you own your own business or would like to make a difference where you work, no matter how big or small your workplace, you can take steps to reduce energy emissions and save money –

20 things your workplace can do to help the planet

• 1 - Do an energy and/or environmental audit - Understand the impact your company is having on the environment by auditing your energy use, emissions, waste and other environmental impacts. Once you know, develop a strategy to reduce these impacts over time

• 2 - Buy renewable energy/GreenPower - Countries like Australia, Germany and the US offer energy for consumers from renewable sources only such as solar, wind and geothermal energy. If you have the opportunity, make the switch and you can save an average of 7 tonnes of emissions a year - see www.greenpower.com.au.

• 3- Green your event - When holding conferences and other large events do what you can to reduce its environmental impact buying locally, choosing energy-efficient and environmentally aware venues, purchasing renewable energy/GreenPower and offsetting remaining emissions.

• 4 - Open the windows, turn off the air con - Air conditioning is one of the biggest users of electricity in the summer and a great contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. When appropriate, turn of the air con and open the windows for some fresh air. For enclosed spaces, switch your air conditioner to economy cycle, which lowers energy use and makes the most of the fresh air.

• 5 - Shade your office - Install awnings or shading over windows and walls exposed to the sun. This will help keep the heat out, the air conditioners off and the power bill low.

• 6 - Change your light bulbs - A switch from conventional light bulbs to energy efficient compact fluorescents can be one of the most effective things your business can do to reduce emissions and stop global warming and it saves you money.

• 7 - Turn off lights - It sounds simple but turning off the lights when leaving the office can make a big difference to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Timers are an effective way of ensuring lights are not left on after hours and motion sensors can be installed so lights are on only when needed.

• 8 - Print Double Sided – Whenever you can, copy or print your documents double sided. It saves paper and won’t take up as much room on your desk. You can also adjust your margins and type size to fit more on the page.

• 9 - Think about your hot water - Is hot water really necessary in office bathrooms when most of us are out the door before it has even warmed up? And leaving tea urns and water boilers on all day in your office kitchen uses a lot of energy, up to 90% of which can be wasted. For small offices a quick-boil kettle may be all you need. If larger urns and water boilers are necessary, switch them off at the end of the day and look into getting energy efficient, insulated models.

• 10 - Switch to solar hot water or gas heating - This can save as much as two to three tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year and greatly reduce energy costs.

• 11 - Make conference or Skype calls instead of trips - Set a company policy that makes international trips a rarity rather than a regular thing and make the most of your communication options such as conference, video or Skype calls. Fewer flights mean less travel time and savings of up to 10 tonnes of emissions per international trip. If you need to fly, consider offsetting the emissions of the flight.

• 12 - Encourage or financially support your employees to use public transport - Cars contribute 41.7 million tonnes of Australia's overall carbon dioxide emissions and similar amounts in other countries. Encourage your employees to use public transport or financially support them by using a voucher or annual train, bus or ferry scheme.

• 13 - Install bike racks and showers - Help your healthy-minded employees reduce their carbon emissions and get fit by providing safe bike lock up areas and showers for cyclists, walkers and runners.

• 14 - Work from home, save the trip - Even a day at home a month can make a difference to reducing transport emissions. Where appropriate, allow your employees to work from home occasionally.

• 15 - Buy efficiency - When buying high energy using equipment such as computers, copy machines, fleet cars, etc. look or ask for the energy ratings and choose the best energy-saving option accordingly - saves you money and the earth.

• 16 - Look at laptops - Next time you're replacing office computers, remember that laptops and notebooks use up to 90% less energy. If LCD screens are too small when connected to an energy efficient monitor, they still only use around half the energy of a normal desktop computer.

• 17 - Maintain your equipment - Regularly check air conditioning vents, pipes and filters and maintain office equipment to ensure it is operating efficiently. Regular maintenance prevents leaks and wasted energy and ensures you get the best out of expensive equipment.

• 18 - Buy recycled - Buying used or recycled office furniture and materials such as paper, means less energy use, emissions and pollution. Recycle as much of your office waste and unwanted goods as possible.

• 19 - Switch off standby and turn off monitors - Leaving computers, printers and photocopiers on stand-by can account for much of your office's energy use, and therefore emissions and costs. Turn off computers and other equipment off at source at the end of the day and when not in use. Install timers on monitors and other equipment to ensure they are off when not in use. So simple, so effective.

• 20 - Install waterless urinals - Every year, billions of litres of fresh drinking water are wasted in urinals flushing. Waterless urinals use absolutely no water while meeting the highest hygienic standards. So make the switch, save your water bill and the environment.

Try and encourage changes like these in your workplace to help reduce your energy emissions.