Arup - Wales Environment Award - Highly Commended

To address the energy use in the building, several retrofitted devices were installed and actions instated, including SMART meters to monitor electrical, gas and water consumption, an energy efficient boiler and kitchen appliances, ‘Night Watchman’ to auto switch off all PCs and photocopiers, LED lighting, passive infrared sensor lighting controls, and turning of the server room temperature up.

Driven by the volunteer staff champions group ‘OvaGreen’, employee engagement has been at the forefront of environmental action. Sustainable travel is encouraged through various initiatives such as travel surveys, cycle racks, online cycle route maps, car sharing, carbon emission journey awareness, video conferencing and Dr Bike sessions. Waste reduction is also promoted by the OvaGreen group, through increased recycling facilities for more varied waste streams such as organic waste and batteries, and encouragement of recycling through the removal of personal general waste bins. A ‘follow-me’ printing scheme forces staff to log onto the printer to save unnecessary printing and waste. All initiatives are communicated widely to staff and external stakeholders.

Allowing the company to ‘practice what they preach’, the retrofitting and employee initiatives have served as a working example to clients, leading to enhanced reputation and the ability to share best practice with other companies, as well as the encouragement of employees to transfer the environmental behaviour to their homes. Annual reporting of the company’s carbon footprint to the Prince’s Mayday Network allows continual measurement and improvement.