UK employers lack environmental policies

The TUC asked people how good they were at "being green" at work and how much their employer encouraged them to be environmentally responsible. The poll was taken ahead of an event in London looking at the impact the Climate Change Bill could have on UK workplaces.

Only 45% of respondents said their employer had an environmental policy. Employers in the south west of England were rated the best - scoring just over 50%, while London was the worst with just 42% having a green policy in place.

TUC deputy general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "This research highlights the importance of changing employer attitudes and taking 'greening' the workplace seriously. Small steps, like recycling paper or turning off lights, can make an enormous difference when taken by everyone."

He added that both unions and employers needed to "do much more" to help UK businesses "clean up their act".

Staff taking part in the survey said the environmental action they were most likely to take was switching off computers and machinery before leaving work (72%). However, less than a quarter (24%) always printed 'double-sided' to save paper.

Employers were good at encouraging paper recycling, with three-quarters (73%) of staff saying bosses did enough in this area, but only 34% encouraged the reuse or recycling of cups!

Carbon map

Meanwhile, a new UK "carbon map" released today has shown that businesses account for more than half of all carbon emissions in some urban areas.

The map from the the Carbon Trust highlights the areas of the country in which businesses have been emitting well over the national average of 40% of CO2 emissions. In Leicester, Norwich and Sheffield, businesses generated 55% of carbon emissions - the highest percentage.

In Cambridge and Reading the figures were 53% and 50% respectively, while businesses in Newry, Northern Ireland, emitted the lowest proportion - just 26% of the city's CO2 emissions. Brighton and Southend businesses also fared well, producing only 33% of their cities' carbon footprint.

Of the 33 towns and cities assessed in 2004, Greater London emerged as the area with the highest overall volume of CO2 emissions from industry, at 50,754,000 tonnes. Businesses in the Welsh town of Aberystwyth emitted 696,000 tonnes, the lowest amount.

Tom Delay, chief executive of the Carbon Trust, said: "Business has a critical role to play in tackling climate change as it is responsible for approximately 40% of CO2 emissions in the UK and poor energy efficiency costs business an estimated £2 billion annually.

"Implementing straightforward energy saving measures in the workplace could reduce energy bills by up to 20%, enhance their reputation and drastically cut their carbon footprint."

He added: "The carbon map was designed so cities could better analyse their overall carbon footprint and identify areas where more efforts can be made."