Take action

Take action at work

1. Understand an organisation’s carbon footprint

2. Look into your organisation’s environmental strategy

3. Look into existing networks

4. Look into existing standards and certifications

1. Start a conversation within your company/organisation

2. Organise information sessions

1. Change your own practices

Under construction, check back soon!

2. Help to reduce the environmental impact of your company/organisation

1. A key question to get you started

2. Some illustrative ideas

3. General approaches

4. Potential accelerators

4 quick guides on how to reduce your company’s carbon footprint

Guide structure





These guides are not available in English yet. Please check back soon!

5 steps to help you get started

These sections are soon to be updated and made available in English. Please check back!

Inspiring testimonials

Alexis Treilhes | Michelin | Transport sector

3-minute testimonial on the creation of a group of agents of change within Michelin.

Clément Tremblay | ENGIE | Energy sector

Learn how a committed working group was able to transform Engie’s strategy and internal practices within 18 months.

Rétrospective Sobriété



Let My People Go Surfing: the Education of a Reluctant Businessman – Yvon Chouinard

The story of Patagonia - a company well-known for respecting its workers and the environment - told by its founder, the man who said, "I know it sounds crazy, but every time I have made a decision that is best for the planet, I have made money”. His commitment, his vision, his failures and his successes.

The Business of the 21st Century Will Be Political or Not at All – Pascal Demurger

The sincere and inspiring story of the CEO of the MAIF Group, which highlights just how much a company can serve the common good, how this contribution can, in turn, enhance the company’s own performance, and how this human adventure deeply transforms people and relationships.
A source of inspiration and strength that will give you the boost you need to get started and reposition your own organisation.

Real-life cases

GHG assessment site | ADEME

Examples of the Quanti GES method being applied to real actions carried out by organisations (companies, regional and local councils, etc.): process, impact assessment of actions designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions broken down by sector.

Take action in your community

Urban planning

Sustainable city - Sustainable and green planning | ADEME

ADEME resources on urban and land use planning projects.

Council website
Every city and local council publishes documents on urban and land use planning, including planning regulations, upcoming and ongoing development projects, and public consultations in which you can participate.
Research your local council’s Sustainability Statement for more details on its general environmental strategy.
Example:
• London City Hall - click here for Planning and here for the Sustainability Statement

Transport

Council website
Seek out your council or city hall’s transport strategy to gain insight into what your local authorities are doing to make transport and traffic greener and more accessible. You can also find out more about all available transport options on your council or city hall’s website.
Example:
• London City Hall, click here for Transport and here for the Mayor’s 2018 Transport Strategy

Greenhouse gas emissions reports

GHG reports |ADEME

A search engine that allows you to access the GHG reports of French local authorities

Climate or environmental strategy

Council website

Example:
*- London City Hall - click here for the Climate Action Strategy and here for the 2018 London Environment Strategy

Local decision-making

Public consultations
Your local authority may create spaces for shared governance and public consultation, especially when implementing its climate strategy or launching new urban development projects.
Example:
• London - City Hall consultations and CLC consultations
Borough or neighbourhood councils
Certain cities also have borough or neighbourhood councils, which either serve to make decisions at a more local level or to act as an interface between residents and elected officials.
Example:
• London - click here

Urban greening

Green your street
Cities tend to experience temperatures 2 to 3°C higher than rural areas. Urban greenery helps to reduce this ‘heat island’ effect. Initiatives to make cities greener can be led by residents as well as local authorities. You can plant trees in the streets, introduce greenery to roundabouts or road verges and climbing plants to facades, or plant flowers around the bases of trees in public spaces.
Many local councils are supporting residents and setting up programmes specifically to this effect. Some are even organising calls for projects to finance citizen-led initiatives.
Other possible actions:
• Ask your local authorities to set up wildlife crossings.
• Ask your local authorities to make street furniture greener.
• Ask your local authorities to replace tarmac with other surfacing materials that have a higher reflective coefficient and are more permeable.

Waste

World Cleanup Day

World Cleanup Day is a citizen-led movement that brings businesses, schools, local authorities and other organisations from all over the world together for a positive, festive day of picking up the rubbish that usually pollutes our surroundings, in both cities and rural areas. By following the link you will find a list of events by country.

Collective clean-up events

Waste can be found on country roads, city streets and even in the oceans. More and more collective clean-up events are being organised. The goal? To clear a particular area of rubbish and strengthen community bonds by taking part in a unifying activity. At your level, you can either look up waste collection initiatives near you or organise a collective clean-up operation in your neighbourhood with the help of a local association or school, for example. The first step is to identify and demarcate the area that you wish to clean and set a date. Then you need to spread word of your event to ensure that as many people as possible participate. Finally, you should let your local authorities know about your event in order to properly demarcate the targeted area and ensure that the collected rubbish can be disposed of safely.
Certain precautionary measures should be taken during clean-up events, namely wearing gloves and closed shoes to avoid any injuries caused by sharp or dangerous objects.

Urban agriculture and food sharing

Communal compost

For people who do not have access to a garden, communal compost is an interesting solution in several respects: learning a new skill, potentially initiating a mutually beneficial exchange with your neighbours, producing you own compost for your indoor plants or for shared greens, contributing to better managing your immediate environment, and reducing your waste disposal costs.

Community gardens

A community garden is a garden that is collectively designed, built and maintained by the residents of a neighbourhood or village.
You can find starter guides, technical information and various resources on the Royal Horticultural Society’s website - click here.

Sustainable food in collective catering
• Ask your local authorities to serve vegetarian meals in schools and other institutional settings requiring collective catering.
• Ask your local authorities to take steps to combat food waste in collective catering.
• Ask your local authorities to offer school meals made from organic products.

Transports

The walking school bus

A walking school bus involves parents taking turns to accompany children to school on foot, stopping along the way to collect other children to join the convoy.

One parent takes on the running of the line: drawing up a timetable, registering the children, general planning. The other parents are ‘conductors’ and take turns safely bussing the children to school.

Encourage sustainable mobility
• Ask your local authorities to develop public transport in your area and make it more accessible (free transport, good coverage, etc.).
• Ask your local authorities to prioritise active mobility (walking buses, cycle lanes).
• Ask your local authorities to restrict cars in urban areas.

Funding

Push for ethical funding
• Ask your local authorities to use ethical funding sources.
  To find out more about where your municipality gets its funding from, access the council’s yearly budget and look for a list of loans and creditors.
• Suggest introducing a complementary local currency to your community and encourage its use by local public services.

Take action in your daily life

Individual carbon calculator - GoodPlanet Foundation

In just a few clicks you can assess the greenhouse gas emissions generated by a particular trip or by your yearly travel and consumption habits. A annual or regular diagnostic tool available to all.

Food

Transport

Consumer goods

Technology

Housing