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Green Teams are making a difference across many sectors of business.  They have historically been formed as grass-roots movements from within the company; but are now more commonly created from the executive-level down with an integrative approach.  Empowering employees to evaluate and create “greening” programs, while linking these efforts to the Company Mission and Core Values, is now the key to successful Green Policy integration.

Even with leadership from above, the structure and make-up of the green team is very important.  Which departments, function areas, or business activities need to be represented?  Looking at a business from a bird’s eye view can help with this.  Executive management and facilities management representation is integral.  Then it depends on the type of business, but green team members could be from human resources, cafeteria and food service, purchasing and receiving, maintenance and housekeeping, general office, grounds workers, janitorial staff, client service, and sales. The point is to represent as many relevant areas as possible, and encourage cross-departmental relationships.

Green teams can serve to educate themselves as a group on sustainability issues, learning and taking action.  The excitement generated by this committed group of individuals can keep fueling the movement with unique content and opportunities.  The Personal Products Company Burt’s Bees really sums it up in this presentation by their CEO.  Calculating the impact of green team’s actions can also serve to justify and even fund future green initiatives which will continue to benefit the Triple Bottom Line of the business.

Green teams can be formed to work on a single initiative or continuing initiatives.  Today the greatest benefits seem to come by focusing on Energy, Water, Waste, and Transportation.  And an ever growing trend, and ever more important goal,  is to also focus outside the company and engage in efforts with the community.  But whatever the team’s initial issues or focus, it is important to always consider and measure the full value of actions and initiatives.

So why do employees become so engaged in sustainability efforts?  I have heard that the same parts of the brain that are stimulated by chocolate are also stimulated by quality engagement with others and the feeling of doing right within a society.  When queried about what matters most in life, respondents tend to agree that it is the interpersonal relationships and the feelings of doing good; it is not the making of money or building of corporations.  People really want to do good and feel good about it. We need to once again believe in the power of humanity… and when you really think about it, really, who doesn’t love chocolate?