The Ministry of Energy, Mines & Petroleum Resources (MEMPR) has a sustainability-minded team of individuals dedicated to bringing the ministry to the Carbon Neutral Standard set forth by British Columbia. Known as the Green Team, this group pilots projects within the ministry with one goal: to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions for the public sector by December 31, 2009.
The Green Team is comprimised of a valuable cross-section of employees, including subject matter experts, project managers and volunteers. Deputy Minister Greg Reimer is an active member of the Green Team sSteering Committee, helping to decide which projects will be implemented to reduce the ministry's greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption.
OUR LEADERSHIP
MEMPR believes that leading by example will encourage the public to make changes in their daily lives to reduce their carbon footprint. Throughout the coming year, the Green Team members will implement creative projects designed to reduce the ministry's emissions and energy consumption, ensuring we reach our aggressive targets.
MEMPR is passionate about the environment and eager to bring sustainable practices to the ministry. By nature of our business, we have to respect the resources we consume, and search for ways to maximize value and use from non-renewable resources. Above all, we have to encourage sustainable practices that reduce our impact on the planet.
OUR VISION
MEMPR is leading the public sector by reducing the Ministry's environmental footprint in terms of Energy (net positive), Transportation (carbon neutral), and Waste (net zero). We are working with employees to create and foster a culture of conservation, innovation and engagement in the ministry and across government.
OUR CLIMATE ACTION
There are many opportunities for reducing an organization's environmental footprint. Employees regularly approach us with suggestions for how we can "green" our meetings, operations and personal behavior. Below are just some of the projects we have initiated since January 2008.
- Energy Conservation
- We have retrofitted lighting on four floors of our Victoria building, and are monitoring energy reduction on two of those floors where dimming ballasts or individual light switches have been installed.
- Dimming ballasts and occupancy sensors were installed on one floor. The ballasts dim the lights when it is bright outside, reducing energy consumption.
- Installing individual light switches in every employees workstation on another floor gives each employee the power to turn their lights off when available light is sufficient or when they are away from their desk.
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- Multiple ministries teamed up to launch a 7 Stream Waste Diversion Initiative in our Victoria building.
- Employees can compost or recycle everything from coffee cups to polyethylene, from plastic bags to milk cartons.
- There is virtually nothing that should end up in the landfill!
3. Transportation
- Reducing emissions from business travel by encouraging the use of videoconferencing, webconferencing and teleconferenciing.
- Actively encouraging stakeholders to rethink their travel and instead, use remote meeting tools.
- Reduce emissions from personal commuting and in-town meetings.
- Providing bus tickets, fully equipped bicycles and a plug-in hybrid vehicle for employees' in-town meeting commuting, reducing taxi and single occupancy vehicle use. It is our goal to make it easy for employees to utilize low-carbon travel options so that they can experience the benefits firsthand.
- MEMPR has provided day-long cycling skills and safety workshops each year since 2004.
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