Social services – Mitigation

Article

Without compromising the quality of services, the industrial sector's climate impacts can be reduced most effectively by saving energy and improving energy efficiency. With respect to economics, the most profitable means is to teach users sensible consumption of electricity, heat and water.

Saving materials and reducing waste

Reduction of waste and saving of materials begins already during the purchase phase. Procurements can favour recyclable and renewable materials. In addition, purchased products should be such that their manufacture has burdened the environment as little as possible. When ever possible, disposable products should be avoided. In addition, consideration should be given to the energy consumption of purchased equipment during their operation. In many offices, electronic business is standard practice. This helps reduce the consumption of paper and carbon dioxide emissions.

Reducing emissions from passenger traffic and transports

When ever possible, public transportation should be used and an attempt made to reduce the need to move location. Transportations can be reduced by improving logistics. In addition, drivers should be offered training for economical driving.

Promoting environmental responsibility and health in customer contacts

Social services should cater for environmental considerations in all customer contacts and assume an active role of teacher and information officer in climate change mitigation. Food services should aim to save energy and offer vegetable-oriented food from local products. In addition to the mitigation actions against climate change, early education and other areas of social services should emphasise the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

Environmental education is a key part of the early education of nursery schools. The aim is to develop the relationship with nature and environmental responsibility. When recycling and consumption education begins already in nursery school, many actions related to the mitigation of climate change are self evident from an early age. Environmental education is also an important part of basic education in school.

References [1], [2], [3]

Autoliitto. 2012. Taloudellinen ajotapa. http://www.autoliitto.fi/tietopankki/koulutus/taloudellinen-ajotapa/
Mattila Vesa Ville (toim.). 2001. Ammattikeittiön hallittu energiatalous ja sisäilmasto. Työtehoseura, VTT, Motiva Oy & Teknillinen korkeakoulu. 2001. 6 s. Painettu opas.
Syyrakki, S. 2009. Päättäjän opas. Lähituottajat ja kunnalliset ruokapalvelut. FCG Efeko Oy. 35 s. http://www.lounafood.net/Oppaat/Paattajan_opas.pdf

Checklist

Information and communication: Have transport sector employees been trained in energy-efficient driving?

**Training in energy-efficient driving**
Strengths, factors in favour	Weaknesses, uncertainties	Costs, economic impacts
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions.	How to commit employees to this activity?	+ Saves money.
Saves money.	Training costs money.	- Training of employees incurs costs.
Higher traffic safety
Improved energy efficiency for equipment

Energy saving and energy efficiency: Have energy audits been conducted at municipal buildings?

**Energy audit of a building**
Strengths, factors in favour	Costs, economic impacts
An energy audit of a building is suitable for examining the energy saving potential of business or service premises with ordinary technical building systems. It also lends itself for use as the audit method of a large building or one with complicated technology - e.g. a hospital or public indoor swimming pool.	+ Energy audit aims at charting economically profitable energy saving methods.
At the same time, possibilities for using renewable energy can be examined.	+/- Initial investments may be high, but in some cases results can be attained even without investment. Energy saving pays back some of the investments.
Support for audits of a municipality's residential stock is available from the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA).	- Conducting of analyses requires efforts.
	+ Support for audits of a municipality's residential stock is available from the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA).

Sustainable products and procurement: Does procurement take account of the energy classification of equipment, pay attention to the ecological sustainability and recyclability of materials? Are canteens offering vegetarian and/or organic food?

**Sustainable procurement**
Strengths, factors in favour	Weaknesses, uncertainties	Costs, economic impacts
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions.	How to commit employees to this activity?	+ Saves money.
Saves money.	Training costs money.	- Training of employees may incur costs.
	Must not impair service standards.

Waste management: Has a waste management/recycling plan been prepared for the office?

**Reducing and recycling waste**
Strengths, factors in favour	Weaknesses, uncertainties	Costs, economic impacts
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions.	How to commit employees to this activity?	- Training of employees may incur costs.
Saves natural resources.	Training costs money.	- Acquiring and maintaining waste containers costs money.
Saves money.		- More work for cleaning staff
		+ Savings from acquiring more sustainable products

Information and communication: Have employees been instructed in how to use electricity, heat and water sensibly? Has air-conditioning been adjusted to suit the users' needs? Is it possible to recover heat from exhaust air and wastewater? Has enhancing the production and use of compressed air been examined?

**Energy saving at the workplace (saving electricity, water and heat)**
Strengths, factors in favour	Weaknesses, uncertainties	Costs, economic impacts
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions.	How to commit employees to this activity?	+ Energy saving saves money: Energy saving is 2–10 times more profitable than additional construction of energy production.
Find the best ways to save energy and improve energy efficiency	Training costs money.	+ State aid easier to obtain for energy investments: for energy efficiency audits (40–50%) and energy saving investments (15–20%)
Energy saving saves money.	Must not impair service standards.	+ Improves the image.
	How to identify best practices?	+ Signing of an energy efficiency agreement is free of charge.
	Progress of plans and strategies must be systematically monitored. Otherwise their benefits may not be attained.	- May require working hours/an external employee.
		- Training of employees may incur costs.
		- Costs may increase at least initially as investments are made.

Climate-friendly lifestyle: Are employees and customers encouraged to use public transport or a bicycle for commuting? Would it be possible to introduce a ticket provided by the employer?

**Encouraging the use of public transport and bicycle and pedestrian traffic**
Strengths, factors in favour	Weaknesses, uncertainties	Costs, economic impacts
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions.	How to commit employees to this activity?	- Providing premises and a commuting ticket by the employer increase costs.
The use of bicycle and pedestrian traffic may improve the physical condition of employees.
Enhancing regional co-operation in municipal logistics

Climate-friendly lifestyle: Has the development of relationship with nature and environmental responsibility been acknowledged and adopted as key component in early childhood education at day-care centres?

**Environmental education**
Strengths, factors in favour	Weaknesses, uncertainties	Costs, economic impacts
Can reduce residents' greenhouse gas emissions.	Results can be hard to assess.	+ Cost-savings in society in the long term
	How to get the message across?	- Production and distribution of brochures, and organising events, cost money.

Energy saving and energy efficiency: Has an environmental system, operating policy, energy efficiency agreements or other corresponding plans to mitigate climate change been prepared for the office?

**Preparation of environmental systems and signing of energy efficiency agreements; Energy saving at the workplace (saving electricity, water and heat)**
Strengths, factors in favour	Weaknesses, uncertainties	Costs, economic impacts
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions.	How to commit employees to this activity?	+ Energy saving saves money: Energy saving is 2–10 times more profitable than additional construction of energy production.
Find the best ways to save energy and improve energy efficiency.	Training costs money.	+ Improves the image.
Energy saving saves money.	Must not impair service standards	+ State aid easier to obtain for energy investments: for energy efficiency audits (40–50%) and energy saving investments (15–20%).
	How to identify best practices?	+ Signing of an energy efficiency agreement is free of charge.
	Progress of plans and strategies must be systematically monitored. Otherwise their benefits may not be attained.	- May require working hours/an external employee.
		- Training of employees may incur costs.
		- Costs may increase at least initially as investments are made.

Social services – Mitigation

Saving materials and reducing waste

Reducing emissions from passenger traffic and transports

Promoting environmental responsibility and health in customer contacts

References

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