Today WWF (World Wide Fund) Vietnam has proudly presented ‘Green Office’ certification to the British Embassy in Hanoi, the British Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh city and the Department for International Development Vietnam (DFID Vietnam) .

There are now five certified Green Offices in business and government sectors in Vietnam.

The embassy, the consulate general and DFID Vietnam have all successfully developed and implemented an environmental management plan, which includes reducing the consumption of electricity and paper, reducing transport emissions, and educating staff in sustainable practices and climate change mitigation.

The WWF Green Office programme is a practical environmental management system which aims to show how simple changes to office management and behaviour can reduce costs for an organization, but more importantly, help fight climate change.

"The UK team deals with the big issue of global warming and climate change with every smallest effort,” British Ambassador Mark Kent says. “We also have a pro-active Green Team, a hub for many office-greening innovations. The Green Office has helped us to make a big difference. We have even launched our casual Fridays when people wear T-shirts or jeans to work (to avoid sweating and using air-cons); obviously, greening is cool here!"

In only three months, the British Embassy has recorded significant results. By  encouraging staff to stop unnecessary printing and to print on both sides of the paper, paper usage at the embassy was reduced by 26 per cent. Plastic bag consumption was reduced by 20 per cent by switching to reusable canvas bags.

At DFID Vietnam, there was a 16 per cent reduction in electricity consumption achieved by reminding staff to turn off lights and appliances when not in use, and activating the energy-saving functionality of office equipment

Environmental efficiency in the British Embassy is helping to mitigate climate change in Vietnam, where sea level rises are threatening coastal communities and ecosystems are under increasing stress.

WWF Vietnam hopes that other embassies, organizations, businesses and government offices are motivated to join the British Embassy as members of the Green Office programme.

Notes for Editors

For further information on the WWF Green Office programme please contact :

Ms Tabitha Carvan
Green Office Coordinator
WWF Vietnam
39 Xuan Dieu Rd, Tay Ho District, Hanoi
Tel.  84-4-3719 30 49, ext.125
Fax. 84-4-3719 30 48
E-mail: tabitha.carvan@wwfgreatermekong.org

For further information on the British Embassy’s Green Office programme please contact :

Ms Hoang Hong Hanh
Assistant Management Officer
British Embassy
Central Building
31 Hai Ba Trung
Hanoi
Tel. 84-4-3936 05 43
Fax. 84-4-3936 05 51
E-mail: hoang.hanh@fco.gov.uk

About Green Office

Green Office is a simple environmental management system (EMS) for the office environment originally developed by WWF Finland in 1997. Green Office is suitable for small and large offices in both the private and public sector.

The Green Office programme has been running in Vietnam since 2007.

Current Green Office Vietnam members include the Finnish Embassy, Conforama, OUT-2 Design, and Toyota Motors Vietnam.

As part of Green Office, WWF Vietnam provides the following services:

• Consultation for EMS development
• Regular EMS audits and evaluation visits
• Green Office training workshops and seminars
• Ongoing customer care and support material
• Practical eco-tips sent by e-mail
• Use of the WWF Green Office logo for members’ marketing and communication purposes
• Publicity for Green Office members’ eco-efficient practices

The benefits for Green Office members include

• Cost savings in energy and material expenses
• Improved corporate image as an organization committed to environmental responsibility
• Networking opportunities with other Green Office organizations
• Improved employee motivation and morale
• Recognized association with one of the largest and best known global conservation organizations

About WWF

WWF, the global conservation organization, is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. WWF has a global network active in over 100 countries with almost 5 million supporters.

WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

WWF is working with governments and industry of the six Greater Mekong nations to conserve and sustainably manage 600,000 km2 of transboundary forest and freshwater habitats in this unique and rapidly changing land.

WWF supports the formulation of Asia’s first regional climate change adaptation agreement to provide a legal framework and mechanism for regional cooperation and coordination on climate change.  

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