SUPPORT GREEN INITIATIVES BY TELECOMMUTING

It’s no secret that “going green” is the most popular trend in cutting edge business practices. In these days of increasing environmental awareness and rising oil prices, telecommuting is gaining mindshare. Telecommuting is a great way to “go green” AND experience positive results for the organization and employees. Organizations are realizing that saving money and the environment is good.

As more people begin to telework, the advantages for society become more evident. Among those benefits are cleaner air, reduced traffic congestion and accidents, reduced consumption of transportation fuels, closer community ties, and enhanced economic development.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s study closely examines the environmental and transportation benefits of teleworking. The study suggests that overall emissions of pollutants are projected to increase by almost 40 percent by 2010 because we are driving more and under more congested conditions. If more people begin to telework, it can significantly reduce the amount of pollutants dispersed in the future.

It is becoming more apparent that we must start dealing with environmental damage and put plans in place to significantly reduce future damage. Teleworking takes a great step toward this goal by reducing vehicle emissions. The long-term benefit to the environment of having people working at home is tremendous. Promoting teleworking means fewer vehicles on the road thereby reducing emissions, traffic congestion, accidents, highway needs and repairs.

The Environmental Protection Agency says if 10 percent of the nation’s workforce teleworked just one day a week, Americans would conserve more than 1.2 million gallons of fuel per week.

The United States could save an estimated 9.7 million gallons of gas and $38.2 billion per year from white collar employees working remotely from home just two days per week according to the Telework Exchange.

With forward thinking, any organization that can quickly make the switch to telecommuting can get a jump on the masses and come out on top as an environmental thought leader.

Educating employees about green office practices is vital and can be very enlightening and rewarding.

Mack Global Consulting will help you “green” your organization. We will provide you with the tools you need to achieve the ‘green’ goals you set and measure your progress accurately. Now, you can implement a telework program and report results in the following areas:
• GHG (greenhouse gases) emissions reduced
• Customer satisfaction
• energy saved
• number of jobs retained
• overhead savings
• productivity gains
• reduction in absenteeism
• commute miles saved
• gallons of gas saved

ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONSERVATION BLOCK GRANT (FOR STATE, LOCAL, AND TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS)

The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy recovery program with The U.S. Department of Energy’s purpose is to assist state, local, and tribal governments in implementing strategies to 1) reduce fossil fuel emissions; 2) reduce total energy use; 3) improve energy efficiency in the transportation, building, and other appropriate sectors. An effective telework program can help accomplish these goals.

The Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant was created to accomplish the following:
• Reduce fossil fuel emissions
• Decrease total energy consumption
• Improve energy efficiency in the transportation, building, and other energy consuming sectors
• Spur economic growth
• Create and/or retain jobs

IMPLEMENTING A TELECOMMUTE PROGRAM IS AN ELIGIBLE ACTIVITY:

Implementing a telecommute program is an approved eligible activity under the transportation program to conserve energy category for the Energy Efficient and Conservation Block Grant Program. Specifically, funds can be used for incentive programs to reduce commutes by single occupancy vehicles, and state/local/regional integrated planning activities with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled.

If you’re interested in implementing a telework program, we can provide the expertise you need to establish your telework program from start to finish. We’ll review how your agency or locality works and help you design a teleworking program that works with it. We’ll help you train your workers and managers, make the transition to telework, adjust your system for any unforeseen glitches – and set you up to measure your programs success!

Our team of experts will help guide you through the required documentation like the environmental questionnaire, financial management assessment, and the strategy format for state and local government as it relates to implementing a telecommute program. We will provide the knowledge and expertise you need to:

• Determine your implementation strategy
• define measurable goals and objectives
• coordinate a schedule for major milestones
• determine specifically how funding will be used to implement a telecommute program
• determine collaboration efforts and how important information will be shared
• establish performance metrics for reporting purposes and to measure the success of your telecommute program
• create a plan that will ensure sustainability beyond the funding period

THE FOLLOWING ARE ARTICLES ON “GOING GREEN” BY TELECOMMUTING

IT Business Edge Article: Employers Urged to Go Green by Expanding Telecommuting
Washington Post Article: The Green Argument for Telecommuting
Planet Green Article: Is Telecommuting Really Greener?
Green Living Ideas Article: Telecommuting to Spare the Air and Save the Planet
GSA Article: GSA Helps Government Go Green