GAIA are pleased to sponsor the theenergyclub.org network for 2012.
Our sponsorship ensures the network remains free for attendees.

The Energy Club is a self help network of practitioners accountable for energy reduction in their own workplaces. The Energy Club aims are simple: to share experiences, gain knowledge, debate legislation and support one another in achieving their energy reduction and sustainability goals. To learn more visit: www.theenergyclub.org

GAIA Comms

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So this is it, 2012 is ‘the big year’ where real energy reduction success will be revealed in the CRC League Tables and energy price rises bite further into profit margins. There’s no better time to drive that initiative forward and make those reductions.

To get you started here are two tips to consider.

1. Create a clear strategy that others can follow:

As with any ‘journey’, a sustainability strategy must be well planned, thought out and easy to explain. After all you don’t want programmes to conflict, duplicate or baffle the audience.  The GAIA Path is one such simple methodology to help decide what to do and when. It works on the premise that actions need to be placed in the right order and scheduled at the right time to maximise impact. For example employee engagement sits in the ‘Manage’ step at the front with carbon trading at the end in the ‘Offset’ step.  Learn more about it here:  GAIA Path.

2: Recognise your role is to influence others:

Once you’re clear on what your plans are you need to engage others.  An Energy Managers success greatly depends upon their ability to influence others from the Chief Executive to the Cleaner. To do this we advocate starting with a compelling message. It has to be more than just ’saving money’ or ‘reducing carbon’ which will have little appeal and make everyone feel guilty. Consider something aspirational like a commitment to ISO 14001 or a Green Policy commitment to your customers.

To understand how to do this and obtain 19 more ideas on how to enable a sustainable culture in your business, request a Free copy of our Sustainability Handbook Click here to request booklet.

Good Luck!

Haydn

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Last week I was thrilled to be asked to speak at the Launch Event of the Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges (EAUC) Embedding Positive Behaviours event hosted by Leicester University.

My workshop unearthed a diverse range of  engagement challenges towards driving an environmentally sustainable culture. In the session we focused understanding WIIFM, Connectors Theory and Myth Busting techniques.

My plenary talk on ‘Behaviour Change using a 3 Step Model’ can now be viewed via the link  below.

University Behaviour Change event -click to open slides

For help or guidance behaviour change or energy management feel free to call GAIA on 0800 433 4040.

Haydn GAIA

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BSI 4th Annual Energy Management Conference.

Wow what turn out to our Behaviour Change session at the BSI 4th Annual Energy Management Conference in London.

Running a facilitated workshop with such a large audience was great fun and I hope attendees went away with some great ideas on how to embed sustainable change in their organisation.

As promised,  here are the presentation slides for you to ‘read and recall actions’.  Feel free to call GAIA for behaviour change guidance on 0800 433 4040.

BSI Click here to read

Haydn GAIA

Posted in Behaviour Change, CRC Carbon Reduction Commitment, Customer Questions & Answers, Energy Saving Tips, FREE DOWNLOADS, Forum - HAVE YOUR SAY!, GAIA, GAIA Newsletters | No Comments »

GAIA is pleased to announce the publication of our Sustainability Handbook.

The handbook contains 20 ideas of what you can do to make the change towards sustainability in your organisation. It DOES NOT contain patronising advice to avoid “overfilling the kettle”. In fact, some tips may appear to fly in the face of conventional wisdom but they represent our experience of successfully implementing these programmes since 2007.

To obtain your copy email enquiry@gaiaactive.com with your contact details. The booklet is free.

GAIA Comms

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I recently spoke at the British Psychological Society Going Green Working Group Conference on October 7 in London. It was a great event with some really good keynote speakers and breakout sessions. Of particular interest to me was Jeff Beatty, Professor of Psychology at Manchester University who talked about implied attitudes towards sustainability. He suggested that we have an explicit attitude which is that we are ‘pro-sustainability’ and yet our implied attitude (indicated by our body language) shows the very opposite. During the question time I did suggest to him that we had a way of influencing implied attitudes, although I’m not sure he was that enamoured by my suggestions. I think I had better stop trying to be a smart-arse!

Surrie Everitt-Pasco of Canon gave a really interesting talk on some of the difficulties they’d had in the early days of a waste reduction programme and what they did to recover the situation.

My breakout session went well, with about 25 attendees (~ 30% of the conference). I think the high attendance was due to the fact that the the session was on real practical examples of behaviour change successes and problems that we’ve had. We all like to hear real-life stories rather than just theories. A copy of my presentation can be downloaded from this blog very soon.

Overall the conference was great success and I would thoroughly recommend you attend next year.

Chris GAIA

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It was great to meet up yesterday with the attendees at the inaugural Leicestershire High Energy Users’ group.

A wide range of issues were discussed ranging from the impact of carbon-reduction legislation and carbon planning to the adoption of energy-saving technologies including lighting upgrades, voltage optimisation, photovoltaics and variable speed drives. A common thread was the need for impartial advice about the new available technologies rather than relying on manufacturers’ ‘spin’ which can cause confusion and which ultimately lengthens the decision-making process.

Forthcoming meetings will seek to invite such impartial providers of advice on a range of technologies. We look forward to the next meeting to be held on 19^th January hosted by Oadby & Wigston Borough Council.

If you’re a Leicestershire business and would like to join our self help group. Just email myself at teresa.morton@gaiaactive.com. The group is free to join.

Teresa Morton GAIA

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Thank you to the very many of you who turned out for my talk on Why is Energy Efficiency is so hard to sell?, where I outlined my 5 Top tips to getting energy efficiency projects underway.  My talk, at the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) event, was part of a day long conference titled Are my energy efficiency measures delivering savings?

As promised, here are the presentation slides for you to read at your leisure. Feel free to call GAIA for guidance on 0800 433 4040.

For Slides Click here: Why is energy efficiency so hard to sell?

Haydn GAIA

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Next week I’m speaking at the Going Green Sustainability Conference in London on October 7. It is being hosted by the British Psychological Society and I’ve got session on “Driving Sustainability in the Workplace – How to ensure success”

It looks like it’s going to be a packed day with interesting keynote speakers like Jean Lambert MEP who is the Green Party Member of the European Parliament for London. There are also speakers from Virgin Media, Cisco and Legal & General, as well a small raft of academics and behaviour change practitioners running the breakout sessions.

If you fancy attending then its being held at the Hallam Conference Centre, 44 Hallam Street, London. W1W 6JJ and starts at 9am. If last year’s event was anything to go by it will be most engaging and you’ll come away with lots of insights and good ideas.

I’m looking forward to it!

If you’d like to attend to (it’s free), you can e-mail me or contact the organisers directly, here (or copy this URL into your browser, http://www.kc-jones.co.uk/rsm/5/booking-form/253/).

Hope to see you there!

Chris

Chris.allen@gaiaactive.com

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Thank you to all of you who turned out for the Energy Event seminar on Empowering staff to achieve sustainable energy savings, given by Louisa Nadolny of Blaby District Council.

Louisa talked about the award-winning carbon-reduction achievements at Blaby, and kindly acknowledged the contribution provided by GAIA during the past year. As promised,  here are the presentation slides for you to read at your leisure.

GAIA presentation for NEC 14th Sept 2011 Final

Teresa Morton, GAIA Sept

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