Implementation of the Green Office programme in

the Embassy of Finland

WHY GREEN OFFICE?

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 WHY GREEN OFFICE?

• WWF Finland established the concept in 1997

– Encouraged Finnish and international companies and public
institutions to join.
• Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland decided to join with few
pilot units and embassies
– Hanoi as one of the pilot embassies
• The new Finnish development policy
– Environmental sustainability and climate change raised up as one
of the most important priorities
• The already environmentally-friendly attitude at the embassy
as well as constant commitment of the whole staff

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THE GREEN OFFICE PROGRAMME AT THE EMBASSY

• Short- and long-term targets

– Short-term, already achieved by the end of January 2008
– Long-term 2008-2010
• One Green Office coordinator and a team at the Embassy.

Most important is that the whole staff is committed!

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 WHAT DOES THE EMBASSY’S ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT PLAN INCLUDE

1. Greening purchases
2. External and internal communication
3. Training and motivating the staff
4. Energy Efficiency
5. Reducing exhaust emissions
6. Efficient use of materials

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 1. GREENING PURCHASES

• Environmentally-friendly labels are prioritised when

purchasing machines, office items and services
• Also the following issues are taken into account:
– saving of the resources (energy, waste) and reducing waste
– use of renewable resources or recycled materials
– low content or absence of hazardous waste
– reusability, longevity, easy to repair etc.

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 2. ENVIRONMENT IN EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL
COMMUNICATION

• Internal communication
– Email and staff meetings
– Small notes to remind staff to save paper, switch off the lights etc.
• External communication
– The Embassy’s new website (www.finland.org.vn)
– Environment related material, e.g. brochures
– Good tips and lessons learnt will be exhanged with WWF
– All the Embassy’s activities: development cooperation projects,
events etc.

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 3. TRAINING AND MOTIVATING THE STAFF

• Staff meetings on the Green Office

• Advices from WWF
• Trainings organised by WWF
• Internal trainings and instructions

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 4. ENERGY EFFICIENCY

• Lights off whenever not needed (during meetings, lunch

breaks etc.)
• Reduce unnecessary lighting --> use of natural light instead of
electric lights, whenever possible
• Almost every other bulb has been disconnected

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 5. REDUCING EXHAUST EMISSIONS

• Embassy has 2 bicycles: the use of cars discouraged in short

distances
• Joint transportation to events
• Teleconferences to avoid unnecessary travelling
• Recreational and meeting trips in nearby locations
• Ecological driving
• Direct flights and shortest possible geographical connections

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 6 EFFICIENT USE OF MATERIALS:
A) HOW TO DIMINISH THE USE OF PAPER?

• Electronic archives
• Estimating the use of distributed papers, brochures etc.
correctly
• Distributing information electronically
• Printing only necessary documents. When printing, using
paper saving techniques
– 2-sided printing and copying
– 2 pages on the same side
– using the other side of previously used paper etc.
• Hand towels

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 6 EFFICIENT USE OF MATERIALS:
B) HOW TO REDUCE WASTE?

• Durable goods, examples:

– fabric bags instead of plastic ones
• Reusing material whenever possible
– refillable cartridges instead of disposable ones
– using the other side of the paper

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 6 EFFICIENT USE OF MATERIALS:
C) WHAT TO DO THEN WITH THE UNAVOIDABLE
WASTE?

• Recycling
– organic
– metal
– glass
– plastic etc.
• Hazardous waste --> to be separated and disposed in a
proper way

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 QUESTIONS?

Please contact:

Irene Leino
Programme Coordinator
Embassy of Finland
31 Hai Ba Trung
Hanoi

Tel. 8266788, ext. 228

Fax. 8266766
Email: irene.leino@formin.fi
www.finland.org.vn

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