Business is increasingly being recognized – and evaluated – for its environmental impact. While eco-consciousness is routine at home, it can be a challenge taking those habits to work. One company shares secrets to success and highlights of their journey down sustainability lane.

Autodesk produces software tools for designing products, energy efficient buildings and city infrastructure, so to ‘sell’ sustainable ideals, leading by doing seemed inevitable. They resolved to make environmental sustainability core to their business culture, for all 6,600 employees in 95 locations worldwide, from Toronto to San Francisco and Singapore – by being an example their customers could emulate.

Opportunities for greening an office hide in routine activities, and are harvested from what a business does most, by rooting out costs and measuring waste. For Autodesk, it means focusing on facilities (energy, water and waste diversion), travel, conferences and IT (desktops to data centres.)

Walking their talk
Sustainability in action at Autodesk is a two-way street. Montreal Product Manager, Jean-Francois Yelle, stresses that success of employee-driven ideas relies on their 7-member green team and working closely with facilities personnel. Support for initiatives cascades from the top down; team leaders spread the word of savvy solutions by sending e-news to staff each morning as the first view on their internet browser. There's nearly more news headlines from the sustainability team than other Autodesk updates. "By acting locally and sharing that success, initiatives gain popularity and spread to other offices," states Ben Thompson, Sustainable Business Program Manager, "if it wasnt for the leaders and the work of the green teams, those initiatives wouldn't exist. It shows how grassroots action and collaboration between individuals can be successful." A shift to 'green' culture needs both to evolve.

Green teams facilitate 'green item' auctions or bake sales to raise funds for special projects, like planting trees around the parking lot. "Without this funding we couldn't do much, except put up posters encouraging people to do things," relays Jean-Francois. "But, we've also found lots of things we can do that don't need much of a budget," adds Lynn Miller, Director of Product Design in Toronto, such as successfully free-cycling electronics, or swapping books and household items.

To respect differing viewpoints and prevent interest burn-out among staff, leaders are sensitive in communicating green issues, and often frame initiatives around sustainability for other reasons. "If somebody disagrees with you on an issue like climate change, we focus on something an individual values or can connect to, 'it's making your job easier' or, 'this is good for the company; we are saving money'. When you explain initiatives from the 'benefit' perspective, people's eyes begin to open," relates Ben. 


Simple = sustainable
"If you dont provide something easy for people to participate in, your'e in trouble," warns Jean-Francois, although unsuccessful projects teach great lessons, like simplicity is key to maximizing staff participation. Lynn suggests working with the natural behaviours of people. "We make the location for environmental volunteering day close to work, gloves are there. All they have to do is show up," says Lynn. "It doesn't take people out of their way. It doesn't make them think, 'Oh, I have to do extra to be green and eco-friendly.'"

Getting creative
Every business centre has favourite projects. Friday wine and beer night at the Montreal office is a social event that doubles as a venue to communicate team activities, and to grill managers on 'green' issues. Donations from attendees are used to fund special team projects, and occasionally charities like the Haiti earthquake relief, which, "Isn't specifically green, but the social implication is important to how we want to be perceived," comments Jean-Francois.

Also in Montreal, staff can subscribe to have their veggies delivered to the office with the 'bio veggie basket program' that provides organic, locally-farmed produce. Handling and packaging is minimized with reusable shipping boxes, smaller bins are bicycle-friendly for employees who cycle to work.

Environmental projects are a common focus for green teams. The Montreal offices annual cleanup of the Lachine Canal rescues computers, bicycles and purses from the canal banks. In Toronto, staff are given days off to volunteer for environmental initiatives, like preserving nature reserves.

To save on travel time, greenhouse emissions and long distance phone charges, teams in the company's major offices connect by telepresence, a 'virtual collaboration tool' for 'face to face' meetings across time zones; allowing staff to be productive without hopping on a plane. While, staff working from home use webcams. Since 2009, the company has reduced travel by 30%. Use of technology like telepresence has enabled remote teams to keep in touch and to help reduce travel for internal as well as client and partner meetings.

To counter the trend of driving to work, the Toronto office has a 'transit lottery' that awards a lucky colleague $100 towards 'green communiting,' reimburing public transit costs or bicycle maintenance expenses. The Bike-to-Work Program is a favourite and invites friendly competition between offices. It gets employees cycling to work; by cutting out commuting by car, the Toronto office saved a whopping 33,000 lbs of CO2 last year. They also realize it's as good for the body and state of mind as it is for the environment. The proud winner of the Autodesk Bike-to-Work Program in 2010 was Montreal! 

Ben believes, "It's finding easy, fun, collaborative ways to meet sustainable ends without banging people over the head, by just saying 'be green!' It's about engaging people over multiple angles." H&L 

 @EcotownCrier 
Cynthia Liedke

  Photography courtesy of Autodesk