Information on eco-support activity
Eco-support activities support the environmental objectives of organisations and promote environmentally friendly practices in the workplace.
Eco-support measures in the workplace
Eco-support has been developed as a tool for environmental management, especially for municipalities, cities and other public administration organisations. Eco-supporters are appointed and trained for the activities, with the duty of promoting environmentally friendly practices and encouraging other members of the work community to do the same. Eco-support activities can also include the organisation’s customers and help raise environmental awareness in daycare centres, schools, libraries, social and health services and sports services, for example. With the commitment of the whole work community, small everyday choices can make a big difference to the environment and embed sustainable practices in the work and operating culture.
Eco-support to promote environmental objectives
Eco-support activities encourage employees to take practical, greener actions and support workplaces in achieving the objectives of their own environmental programmes and strategies. To achieve the best results, eco-support activities can be tailored to the specific workplace to help it achieve the environmental goals set. If your workplace has an environmental management system in place, eco-support activity can support the environmental work carried out under the system.
Job description of an eco-supporter
Eco-supporters attend the eco-support activity’s basic training, where they will learn about key environmental issues and the objectives to be promoted in workplaces, such as energy saving, waste reduction and sorting, and sustainable procurement. After completing the training, the eco-supporter will launch the activities at their workplace by carrying out a situation assessment, which will be used to prepare an action plan.
Eco-supporters encourage and motivate the whole work community to work together to achieve the agreed environmental goals and monitor progress with the action plan. The organisations have their own eco-support coordinators to support the eco-supporters in their work.
If your workplace works with direct customers, you can also involve them in the eco-support activities. For example, schools, daycare centres and youth services can work with children and young people to develop environmental matters while also increasing their environmental awareness. Libraries, cultural services and social services are also natural places where eco-supporters can make environmental themes visible to customers.
Steps of eco-support activity:
1. Our organisation is committed to promoting environmental responsibility.
2. We join the eco-support network.
3. We appoint and train eco-supporters in our work community.
4. We give support to eco-supporters and their work.
5. We find out about the state of the environment and identify our own opportunities to influence it.
6. We take environmental matters into account in our everyday activities.
7. We take eco-support activity into account in our planning, operations and evaluations.
8. We ensure the continuity of eco-support activity.