Description of the Eco-Lighthouse Program
The
"Eco-Lighthouse" concept was born in 1996, when
Kristiansand was selected along with six other
municipalities to participate in "Sustainable
Communities," a Norwegian Local Agenda 21 pilot
program. The city authorities presented a proposal to nine
companies as diverse as a hotel, a housepainter, an
ice-cream factory and a wood product company. The city paid
a consultant to do an environmental audit and draw up a
three-year plan for reducing resource consumption and
environmental impact. The plan was designed in co-operation
with workers and management, and also focused on work
environment. In return, the firms undertook to carry out the
plan and share their experiences with other firms in the
same industry. Based on the audits, criteria for local,
industry-specific environmental certification schemes were
developed. The original "lighthouse" firms became
eligible for certification once the first measures in the
consultant's plans had been carried out. Other firms could
also apply for certification and receive a 50% subsidy for
the consultant’s audit and plan.
1.
Goals
The
goal of the Eco-Lighthouse Program is to help small and
middle-sized companies in Norway meet environmental
challenges. All types of businesses in industry,
transportation, trade and commerce can use the program.
The
main strategy is to systematically develop industry-specific
criteria for certification. This also allows the Program to
use the trade unions’ experience and “advertise”
certified companies within the industry.
Companies
are certified when they fulfil the environmental
requirements set by the Eco-Lighthouse Program.
2.
Organisation and Financing
Norway’s
National Eco-Lighthouse Office is located in Kristiansand.
The program is at the end of
a three-year test period (start January 2000), with
an annual funding of two million Norwegian crowns from the
Norwegian Ministry of Environment. The program has been
positively evaluated and will receive financial support in
the National Budget for 2003.
The
National Board
A
national board with seven representatives oversees the
program, approves industry criteria and reports to the
Norwegian Ministry of Environment. The Board members are:
·
Eva
Britt Isager (Centre for Sustainable Production and
Consumption, - GRIP)
·
Solfrid
Foss (the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry
-NHO)
·
Anne
Helene Lindseth (The Norwegian Federation of Commercial and
Service Enterprises -HSH)
·
Steinar
Storelv (The Norwegian Association of Local and Regional
Authorities - KS)
·
Halvor
Wøien (The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions)
·
Henrik
Tore Dahl (The Norwegian Association of Small and Mediun sized
Enterprises)
·
Øystein
Holvik (the City of Kristiansand)
The
Eco-Lighthouse Office
is responsible for marketing on national level and for the
continuous development of the program, including developing
and improving industry criteria in co-operation with
consultants, companies and branch organisations. The office
also arranges courses for consultants and municipal
representatives responsible for certification.
The
municipalities
recruit new companies, assign consultants to companies,
oversee media coverage, and conduct certification
inspections. The municipalities also award the certificates.
A representative from the municipality's Environmental
Department should participate in the first meeting with
companies in each industry in order to establish good
communication between the municipality and private companies.
Local
consultants
conduct environmental analyses with input from the
environmental groups formed by company management and
employees.
Establishing
Industry Criteria
Industry
criteria are developed in co-operation with selected
companies (the so-called number 1 companies). Proposals are
sent to trade organisations for comments before being sent
to the National Eco-Lighthouse Office and the National Board
for approval.
List
of Existing Industry Criteria
3.
The Environmental Analysis
The
Environmental Group
When
entering the Eco-Lighthouse Program the management at each
company establishes a working group consisting of key
persons and employees with a special interest in
environmental issues. The group may be made up of three to
five persons in addition to the consultant who acts as
secretary.
Subjects
of the Analysis
The
environmental group selects subjects of the environmental
analysis. Common subjects include:
·
work
environment
·
waste
reduction
·
waste
treatment / sorting
·
materials
use / consumption - demands on suppliers
·
energy
consumption
·
water
consumption
·
internal
information
·
transportation
Identifying
Problems
While
the consultant conducts the environmental analysis and works
with the environmental group in producing a plan of action,
it is the company’s project. The consultant
requires the company to furnish data at each meeting, for
example a list of chemicals used, energy/oil consumption,
etc. At each meeting a new subject is discussed where the
participants find practical ways to solve problems, i.e.
safe storage of special waste.
Employee
Participation
The
flow of internal information is vital to a successful result
throughout the entire process, even after certification. All
employees must be encouraged to join in, sharing their
experience and ideas.
Plan
of Action
The
environmental group works out a plan of action to fulfil
industry requirements for certification. The plan of action
includes measures to be carried out over a three-year period.
Each company prioritises on an individual basis. Experience
shows that investments easily pay for themselves.
Strategies
that produce quick results are emphasised. The analysis
period normally takes about half a year in pioneer companies
and between three to six months with an experienced
consultant.
Eco-Lighthouse
Certificate and Mini Certificate
The
municipality awards a framed certificate
when the company satisfies the established trade demands.
The municipality may also award a mini certificate in an A-4
format that may be used in various kinds of marketing. The
certificate is geographically neutral so that all
municipalities can use it.
Post-Certification
Follow-up
Once
an environmentally positive attitude becomes a natural part
of a company, work must continue to ensure that interest
does not fade away after certification. The following
strategies can help keep the environmental profile in focus:
Annual
environmental reports and plans of action
Every company reports annually on its
environmental status and presents a plan of action for the
coming year. The report, not to be confused with the
environmental report that is made during the environmental
analysis, is a documentation of the physical environmental
data from the last year, and should provide information on
the company’s work on health, environment and safety
issues.
Template
for environmental report
Along with the report the company presents a
plan of action for the same year thus ensuring continuity
and constant updating of the existing plan of action.
Environmental Representative
One company
representative is appointed to be responsible for the
environmental work.
Re-certification
Companies are re-certified every third year.
4.
Municipal Strategies
Organisation
Early
establishment of an administration within a municipality or
between co-operating municipalities is important. The
administrative office takes the first steps towards
initiating the project and continues to actively promote the
program after its inception. Good political contacts will
assist in securing goodwill and financing.
Recruiting
Companies
There
are several ways to recruit firms to the program:
-
In
Stavanger a foundation formed by local companies called
«Grønn By» (Green City) recruits new companies to the
program.
-
In
Bergen the consultants are responsible for recruiting
new companies. Income is a good incentive for the
consultants. The key to this method of recruiting is
that the consultants have a good knowledge of and
contact with the companies in the region.
-
In
Kristiansand, the city’s Chief Officer for Economic
Development invites companies considered suitable and
motivated to informational meetings. Companies showing
interest are matched with a consultant to begin working
on their environmental analysis.
After certification the no. 1 or pioneer company
in a specific industry takes an active role in
recruiting other firms in the same industry.
No.
1-companies
We
recommend that a newly established Eco-Lighthouse Program start
by certifying one single company from each industry. In
doing so the local consultant gains experience within the
industry and these pioneer or no. 1 companies act as
ambassadors to colleagues within their industry.
Some
work must be put in finding a good no. 1 company in every
industry. These companies are examples for others to emulate,
a company which joins the programme half-heartedly is not
likely to be creative and active in solving problems. A
generally innovative company is more likely to be innovative
with environmental issues. A company whose leaders actively
participate in local trade organisations will be more active
in improving and promoting the company.
No.
2 companies
Experience
from Kristiansand has shown that the method of recruiting
no. 1 companies in each industry has been successful. No. 2
and 3 etc. companies benefit from an experienced consultant
and established industry demands. However, this does not
mean that it is possible to "rush" through an
environmental analysis. Each company’s environmental group
starts from scratch, being creative and innovative, and
taking care to inform the rest of the company’s employees.
The
roles and duties of the consultant and the environmental
group must be absolutely clear before starting the
environmental analysis in the no. 2 companies. At least
three meetings should be arranged to ensure a good process
and a good result. All these aspects of participating in the
Eco-Lighthouse program take time.
Municipal
Support
The
amount of financial support for the environmental analyses
varies by municipality, but some should be provided,
especially for the no. 1 companies. Pioneer companies should
also be given extra time with consultants even if industry
criteria already exist, to ensure that they can motivate other
companies to join.
The
City of Kristiansand offers free environmental analyses for
no. 1 companies within each industry. The County and
municipality pay 50% of the costs for the subsequent
companies. Experience from Kristiansand shows that financial
support is an incentive for joining the program!
Post-Certification
Work
To
get inspired for further environmental work certified
companies should meet once or twice a year to exchange ideas.
Meetings can be held in conjunction with regular trade union
meetings or among certified companies within different
industries. The municipality or individual companies may
take the initiative for holding such meetings.
Just a
Beginning
The
Eco-Lighthouse project is meant to help companies start
their environmental work.
By joining the program companies commit themselves to
continuing their environmental work after the environmental
analysis is completed and the certificate has been awarded.
Media
In
order to present the Eco-Lighthouse project and sell it to
the population and industries the municipalities have to use
the media (newspapers, Internet, radio and TV). In
Kristiansand we have been able to engage media by presenting
the Eco-Lighthouse program as a new and interesting thing.
We make it a big event every time a certificate is awarded!
