The TMS Group’s Green Campaign

In 2009 The TMS Group launched an ambitious program entitled the TMS Green Campaign, which is designed to create awareness of significant environmental and energy conservation issues by promoting the “glocal” concept of “think globally and act locally.” Furthermore, the objective is to transform the awareness into actions and encourage employee-driven conservation practices within their workplaces, homes, and at the grassroots level in their communities.

Research shows that energy use in commercial buildings and manufacturing plants accounts for nearly half of all global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 50 percent of energy consumption worldwide. This is consistent within most developed nations and higher levels are foreseeable for developing nations. With workers spending an average of eight hours a day or more at their places of employment, the work environment offers a unique and prime opportunity for people to make a significant impact in energy conservation and to personally contribute to minimizing climate change.

Hence, the first phase of the TMS Green Campaign initiates action at the grassroots level with individual contributors in the workplace. Simple actions by employees can make a big difference in the overall energy performance of a single building and within the enterprise as an entity. Energy conservation activities are promoted across the enterprise and offer concrete solutions in the following ways:

Research shows that energy use in commercial buildings and manufacturing plants accounts for nearly half of all global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 50 percent of energy consumption worldwide. This is consistent within most developed nations and higher levels are foreseeable for developing nations. With workers spending an average of eight hours a day or more at their places of employment, the work environment offers a unique and prime opportunity for people to make a significant impact in energy conservation and to personally contribute to minimizing climate change.

Hence, the first phase of the TMS Green Campaign initiates action at the grassroots level with individual contributors in the workplace. Simple actions by employees can make a big difference in the overall energy performance of a single building and within the enterprise as an entity. Energy conservation activities are promoted across the enterprise and offer concrete solutions in the following ways:

1. Save energy while reducing carbon emissions and costs, and minimize impacts on global warming.
2. Save resources and reduce waste through behavior changes and establishment of recycling practices.
3. Other opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint of our operations.

The primer serves as an overall guide to establishing the concepts, vision, and agenda of the Green Campaign. Furthermore, delineated from the primer is a structured 6-Step approach for the successful implementation of the energy conservation program.

In 2009 The TMS Group launched an ambitious program entitled the TMS Green Campaign, which is designed to create awareness of significant environmental and energy conservation issues by promoting the “glocal” concept of “think globally and act locally.” Furthermore, the objective is to transform the awareness into actions and encourage employee-driven conservation practices within their workplaces, homes, and at the grassroots level in their communities.

The TMS Group targets both environmental and financial enhancements from well-managed energy resources in an effort to continuously improve energy performance. The program’s success must be based on a regular assessment of energy performance and implementation of steps to increase energy efficiency.

• Appoint a Key Focal Person and establish Energy Teams – these are cross-functional teams from all levels within the company, duly empowered to execute energy management activities across different parts of the organization and to ensure integration of best practices across the enterprise.

Identifying and assessing current and historical energy consumption is the critical link in targeting “quick wins” and leveraging long-term opportunities to maximize energy performance and gain optimum financial benefits.

• Assessing performance includes the periodic process of evaluating energy use for all major facilities and functions in the organization and establishing a baseline for measuring future results of efficiency efforts.

Performance goals drive energy management activities and promote continuous improvement. Establishing attainable and measurable goals is critical for understanding intended results, developing effective strategies, and reaping benefits from energy financial gains. Well-stated goals guide daily decision-making and are the basis for tracking and measuring progress. Communicating and posting goals can motivate employees to support energy management efforts throughout the organization, and potentially lead to the development of a competitive spirit.

The developed action plan must ensure a structured process to implement energy performance measures. The action plan becomes a “living document” with semi or annual renewals and is designed to reflect attainment of major milestones, changes in performance, and realignment of priorities.

Achieving the desired goals will rely heavily on the awareness, commitment, and capability of the people who will implement the projects. The entire employee base within the enterprise is the key to any successful energy conservation program. The support and cooperation of key people at different levels within the organization are important factors for successful action-plan implementation in many organizations.

Evaluating progress includes the formal review of both targeted performance goals and actual energy use data and the activities carried out as part of the plans. Evaluation results will drive the creation of new action plans, proliferation of best practices, and enhanced performance goals.

Utilizing the primer concepts with the 6-Step process as the foundation, The TMS Group initiated the TMS Green Campaign, emphasizing a glocal approach with the aim of minimizing carbon emissions. This specific area was chosen based upon three criteria:

1. significant reduction in emissions,
2. quick, measurable implementation, and
3. minimal start-up costs.

Table A illustrates the estimated percentage in 2009 of total end-user energy consumed by The TMS Group’s regional offices, which are divided into travel and workplace sectors. End-uses are ranked within the sectors from most to least energy-consuming. The majority of energy is consumed for only two purposes: to operate company motor vehicles and to regulate the temperature of office spaces. Hence the attention is focused on reducing carbon emissions from these major sources of energy consumption.

The nine actions in Table B could be implemented within all regional offices with little or no initial monetary cost. Six of the actions involve abatement of activities; three (scheduled vehicle maintenance, maintaining correct tire pressure, and using CFL bulbs) involve efficiency increases. Our office locations that implement all nine actions can potentially reduce their total direct energy consumption by 25 to 36 percent and their carbon emissions by a comparable amount. The TMS Group operational occupancy spans 11 buildings in six countries and includes a lease/own motor pool fleet of 40 vehicles. The further potential for increased energy conservation and reductions in harmful emissions will continue as our teams develop, share best practices, and employ creative new ideas. As programs that include cost and capital expenditures are incorporated, Table B will become a priority guide and no longer be just a prediction. Although the savings estimates are approximations, they aid decision-makers in differentiating between high, moderate, and low-impact actions. Moreover, the conservation practices identified in the workplace are sustainable and easily transferable to our employees’ home lives, places of worship, and their communities at large.