The Union Effect: greening the workplace

This report presents the experiences of six organisations which have made a serious effort to lessen the impact of their operations on the environment and, in particular, to reduce their carbon footprint. It looks at the measurable progress that has been made, and the role of unions in that progress. The six case studies cover the public and private sectors, as well as a range of industries: 

• Allianz Insurance: a financial services company 
• Defra (York): a central government department
• EDF Energy: one of the big six energy companies
• Furzedown Low Carbon Zone: a community project based on a further education college
• Great Ormond Street Hospital, an NHS Trust
• The Port of Felixstowe, the largest in the UK.

Although there are differences in the way that environmental improvements are being introduced – power stations and a port face very different challenges to hospitals and offices – there are also similarities.