Green Action Handbook - CARE Climate Change

• Reduce CARE Vietnam’s greenhouse gas emissions by increasing energy and water
efficiency, minimising waste, and implementing green procurement practices
• Ensure each field and country office concerns are met
• Research potential future solutions
2.0 WHAT ARE GREEN TEAMS?
CARE Vietnam’s Green Team program is designed to support CARE in minimizing its carbon
footprint through raising staff awareness on climate change and making improvements
across a wide range of consumption activities including: • Energy
• Water
Green Teams seek to change behaviour at the individual • Waste
and organisational level through education, training • Transport
and practical support.
• Purchasing
Green Team members discuss energy, water, waste, transport and purchasing and map out
practical actions their office can take to reduce impact in each area. Green Team members
are encouraged to share their experiences, local knowledge, ideas and to support each
other in making further changes to office behaviour.
Green Teams consist of between six and ten interested staff members and include staff
from all program areas including: • Finance
• Information Technology
• Administration
• Procurement
• Programs
Green Teams will play a central role in leading their respective offices through the five
steps outlined in CARE International’s Roadmap (see Section 1.0).
A CARE Vietnam Green Team meeting is held annually and attended by representatives
from Green Teams in each field and country office. The annual meeting is an opportunity to
share and celebrate the collective achievements of the group and to discuss future actions
that can be taken in order to further CARE’s progress in reducing its carbon footprint.
2.1 GREEN TEAM GOALS
• Strengthen staff understanding and awareness of the issue of climate change
• Engage staff and provide practical information and guidance to encourage
behaviour change
2.2 HOW DO GREEN TEAMS WORK?
Each office floor is assigned one or more Green Team members. Green Team members
conduct informal and fun training for their floor on topics such as ‘how to print double
sided’, ‘how to recycle’ and ‘how to use the air conditioner responsibly’. These trainings
may be every three to six months. Green Team members are available to answer questions
and provide support to staff on their floor.
In recognition of the voluntary efforts and commitment of individual staff members CARE
Vietnam has committed to providing greater institutional support, including allocating
resources and staff time to their efforts, encouraging senior staff to champion the work
and recommendations of the team, and coordinating team activities during the initial
years of planning and implementation.
2.3 WHAT MAKES GREEN TEAMS SUCCESSFUL?
The Green Teams at CARE Vietnam aim to engage staff to take action in the following
ways:
• Team-based approach: providing both support and pressure to
change behaviours.
• Office monitoring and evaluation: using surveys and small-scale
audits to reinforce staff progress.
• Incorporation of small (but significant) changes into pre-existing
office routines: for example turning off computers and lights at
the end of the day.
• Starting to engage in the next level of activities: described in the
CARE International roadmap i.e. those things that require more
effort and investment (ensuring the next office equipment that is
purchased is more energy efficient).
Green Teams promote and build motivation for new behaviours which then become
habit and routine over a longer time frame. Because Green Teams deal with a whole
range of sustainable behaviour issues (energy, water, transport, waste) linkages can be
made between them.
Over time green routines become normal and the continuation of these becomes
necessary to sustain the self-identity of belonging to a ‘green office’.
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