Improving sustainability in the workplace

Be able to identify an area of a business in need of improvement in terms of sustainability. 

Area of business could relate to one or more processes or products, e.g. the energy used, or the vans in the company fleet, or a particular aspect of the business, e.g. the staff canteen and the choice of food, it's packaging, and how waste is handled.

Sustainability of current practices: what natural resources they use and whether levels of use of non-renewables, in particular, could be reduced so that future generations will still be able to access them.

Assessment Criteria

• 1.1

  Select an area of a workplace where sustainability could be improved. 

• 1.2

  Give reasons for their choice of area, including information about current practices and how sustainable they are. 

Be able to identify processes, practices or resources to support improvement in terms of sustainability. 

Depending on the focus of the project, improvements could focus on reducing waste, reducing pollution, using cleaner energy, using sustainable materials, making their products sustainable.

Changes/revisions could be to ways of working for employers/employees, ceasing practices, introducing replacements products, changing supplier.

Assessment Criteria

• 2.1

  Describe new or revised processes, practices or resources that could improve sustainability in a chosen area. 

Be able to develop and present a project plan to support improvement in terms of sustainability. 

As appropriate to the project.

Actions for employers and/or employees.

Intended impact should relate to reduced use of finite resources or more generally reducing negative impact on the environment.

Assessment Criteria

• 3.1

  Create a project plan including actions and timelines. 

• 3.2

  Present project plan so that required actions, timescales and intended impact are clear.