Submitted by Susannah Cook on Mon, 2022-09-26 13:52
The 2022/2023 Green Impact year is fast approaching, and you might be wondering how to get started in your College or workplace.
A key first step, if you don’t already have one, is to set up a dedicated Green Impact Team that will work together on the project.
Some key things to consider when recruiting members of the team are inclusion and diversity. We know from our Green Impact report 2021/2022 that the average size of a Green Impact team is 6, but we do not prescribe any specific number. Instead, we want to emphasise that you should make sure that there are enough people in the team to spread the load when it comes to tackling actions and uploading evidence. Not only that, but Green Impact should also help you build a sense of community of likeminded peers that are interested in sustainability and want to act together.
Diversity of job roles, levels and areas of operation are also crucial things to prioritise when setting up a team. If applicable in your workplace, a mix of staff and students can lead to success in Green Impact. Students and staff have different workloads, working hours and areas of interest and as a result can complement each other nicely when it comes to working on sustainability projects.
As the Green Impact workbook covers topics as broad as community, biodiversity, and energy, having a breadth of those who work in different areas is also beneficial. Facilities management and operational staff are often some of the most influential members of Green Impact teams as they have the knowledge and remit to make impactful changes in their work practises. Lastly, different levels of seniority within your team can be indispensable for making big improvements and embedding organisational level change. While senior leadership are unlikely to make up the bulk of your team, having someone who has the authority to green light effective interventions within your team can really help with some of the trickier actions.
Once you have your team, it might be a useful exercise to write a team description, charter or terms of reference. This is a useful document not only to guide your work as a team, but also to communicate to others about what it is you do and why you are doing it. Some things you could include are:
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The aims of the group e.g. To achieve a Green Impact Platinum award
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Roles within the team e.g. secretary, who books rooms, who uploads evidence to the workbook
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Job roles within the team. Who are you, what do you do, where do you work?
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When and how often you meet
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Where you meet
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Where you communicate e.g. social media, a newsletter
With your team formed and your aims set out, the only thing left to do is get started! The 2022/2023 Green Impact workbook will be live soon and the launch event will be held on October 20th at the West Hub.