Introduction

Voluntary Organisations were amongst the first to research and publicise the damage we are inflicting upon the environment. The sector now has a key role to play in developing environmental policies and procedures, for several reasons:

• The sector has become a significant employer of both paid staff and volunteers in its own right and as such is a major consumer of resources
• Taking the lead in promoting good practice is an inherent responsibility of voluntary organisations
• Developing environmental policies makes economic sense. In the short term there may well be additional costs to groups, notably through staff time, in developing policies. However, savings can soon be made through more efficient use of resources, and in the longer term, if and when 'green fiscal measures' are introduced there will be tax savings
• Where voluntary groups choose to seek quality standard accreditation ( or where they are required to do so by funders ) they may find that environmental policy and practice are demanded

This section guides voluntary bodies on applying sustainability principles to their offices and administration. Sustainability contributes to:

• The safeguarding of global natural resources
• Improving the welfare and human rights of disadvantaged peoples globally
• Reducing global pollution

The overall aim is to make sure that everyone has a long term future in a just world.

Why this is important for your organisation

There are several reasons why your voluntary organisation should develop and introduce practices that are friendly to the environment and society:

• Supporters, volunteers, staff and users of your services will expect responsible voluntary organisations to take the lead in promoting good practice
• Being more sustainable saves money by using resources more efficiently
• Public funding bodies are required increasingly to demand sustainability policies and performance from those they grant aid
• Being known as a voluntary organisation can raise your profile and open the doors to new opportunities
• As your organisation gets bigger it consumes more and puts more demand on the earth's resources - so it becomes more important to try and minimise your demands

Getting started

Sustainability is no different to any other major issue for your organisation. It needs management attention and adequate funding to implement it effectively. Here are some key points:

• Get the commitment of senior management and your governing body
• Assign responsibility to an individual and establish an action group
• Set challenging but achievable targets - and report on progress
• Work with funders, supporters, suppliers, users of your services, other voluntary organisations to develop good practice
• Realise that it is a long term activity - look for some quick wins but be there for the long term
• Start with a focus on a few key areas
• Provide relevant training for key staff, volunteers and suppliers

Practical actions

Most voluntary organisations should be able to make progress towards being more sustainable. The underlying principles are:

• Use less
• Check on the social impacts of purchases
• Acquire goods that are made from recycled materials, come from sustainable sources or use less energy in use,
• Throwaway less and send waste for recycling or reuse

The principle activities to achieve this include:

1. Reducing, re-using and recycling waste
2. Using energy and water efficiently
3. Reducing paper use
4. Reducing social and environmental impacts when procuring office supplies, energy, accommodation, venues, food etc
5. Minimising transport impacts

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