London Fire Brigade ‘Green Champions’
What was the problem?
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) tasked SE2 with finding a way to raise energy efficiency awareness among their staff, in order to help the organisation meet the carbon dioxide emissions reduction target set by the Mayor of London.
Given that the LFB Environment Team consisted of only two people, covering 110 fire stations operating 24 hours a day on a shift basis, reaching the staff to raise awareness presented a considerable challenge that required a fresh approach.
What did we do?
Our solution was to recruit and train ‘Green Champions’ within the LFB’s operational and office-based staff to act as the eyes and ears of the Environment Team and in turn raise awareness among their co-workers. SE2 designed and delivered a series of 17 three-hour training courses, reaching 156 staff in total.
A key element of the project was to build capacity within the organisation on an ongoing basis. To achieve this, we developed a range of presentation materials, handouts and activities. The LFB Environment Team has since taken ownership of these materials and continues to use them to deliver the training themselves.
What difference did we make?
The ‘Green Champions’ programme was a complete success and the LFB reported immediate improvements, not just in terms of increased awareness and environmentally conscious behaviour but in direct cost savings due to reduced energy consumption.
Because of this, the programme was taken up by a further five fire and rescue services in the North West - Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire and Cumbria. After bidding for and securing funding for the programme from CLASP, we went on to adapt the training course and support materials to match the North West’s existing environmental handbook.
When some of the services reported difficulties in releasing operational staff to take part in training, we converted the course into an online training module accompanied by a workbook, allowing staff to self-certify.
The North West Fire and Rescue Sustainability Network has since won the award for Public Sector Initiative at the Edie Awards for Environmental Excellence 2011.
“The Green Champion network is already paying for itself just through the no-cost savings implemented by the Champions following their training. The training sessions by SE2 hit just the right spot, and have empowered the volunteers to go back to their fire stations and start saving energy.”
Ian Shaw, Environmental and Energy Officer, London Fire Brigade
“Our environmental champions are really embracing the challenge of reducing waste and making our Fire Services in the North West greener. With over 200 champions across the region we are seeing significant reductions in our collective carbon footprint and the amount we spend on resources such as gas, electricity, water and fuel.”
Adam Hebden, Environmental Manager, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service