In the section on green initiatives, we take a closer look at how any organisation or company, or indeed any person, can reduce the negative environmental impacts of their activities and thus contribute to improving the state of the environment and protect biodiversity.
Green procurements are a powerful administrative tool for both the public and private sectors in moving towards more environmentally friendly consumption. Green procurements provide an opportunity for environmentally friendly and innovative products and services. The public sector is a large and important consumer, and green purchasing decisions affect the whole market. Like every individual consumer, the state decides with its euros which products and services to vote for – either environmentally friendly or polluting ones. And if an environmentally friendly product or service has crossed the barrier to entering the market through a public procurement, a so-called niche article can become a consumer good.
A green office does not only mean an office in an ultra-modern self-regulating zero-energy office building – many of the principles of a green office can also easily be applied in older and less economical buildings. Through involving employees and raising their environmental awareness, the impact of a green office is much greater than that of a framed certificate on a bulletin board. A green office is more of a lifestyle, and the desire of the people working in such an office to operate in an environmentally friendly way is not limited to the office itself.
The scope of green events is also wider than one specific conference, concert, or campaign day. Giving up single-use products will make event organisers and product or service providers look for smart solutions and contribute to product development. Meanwhile, successful solutions will reach mass use and become a normal part of people’s daily behavioural and purchasing decisions.
I wish you environmentally conscious choices!
Text: Jana Põldnurk
Last modified 13.01.2022