18-19 SB1009 BBC Leaders 18/9/09 12:04 pm Page 19
Magazines (like the Radio Times and Olive), audio books, CDs, toys and DVDs contribute towards BBC Worldwide’s £1B turnover
won’t mean we are a green company,” warns Outside, Brise Soliel (solar shading panels)
TRAVEL POLICY
David. “But we thought we ought to do it if we control the heat gain created by the large win-
are taking it seriously.” dows. And underneath the building are just 65
BBC WORLDWIDE’S ‘TRAVEL LESS,
In the office, staff are banned from using parking spaces, each one costing £5 a day to use.
TRAVEL LIGHT’ INITIATIVE IS A KEY
polystyrene or plastic cups; it’s china or beakers “When we introduced paying for parking, the
ELEMENT OF ITS GREEN POLICY
instead. No one is allowed a personal bin under status aspect of the parking space vanished
their desk; instead they are encouraged to walk overnight,” says David, who is using the funds
UK by train Flights account for 99% of to the communal recycling bins dotted around generated to pay for carbon offsetting projects.
the company’s travel footprint, so travel the office. Pull-print machines have replaced Last year, the company started working with
in the UK is permitted only by train desktop printers to make sure people only print ERM to carbon-footprint the company, begin-
Europe by train The same applies to what they need. Any documents not activated at ning with the magazines division. As the fourth
travelling in Europe – unless the train the printer are auto-deleted after 24 hours. biggest UK publisher, it wasn’t an easy job.
adds three or more hours to the journey The firm’s headquarters, the Media Centre, Aided by the carbon calculator on the
Limit on long-haul All long-haul flights opened in 2004 and it is an environmental story Periodical Publishers’ Association website, the
have to be sanctioned by the chief in its own right, with a BREEAM ‘excellent’ project measured the carbon emitted from the
executive and staff must demonstrate standard for both design and construction. various aspects of the print process. It highlight-
why they can’t use a videoconference A rainwater harvesting system collects and ed that the energy needed to make the paper the
Parking eco-fund With only 65 parking filters rainwater that falls on the roof and is magazines are printed on, is by far the biggest
spaces at the headquarters, all staff must recycled for use in the toilets, saving three impact. It has been an interesting project for
pay £5 a day to park. The money funds million litres of water a year. BBC Worldwide, which plans to roll out a foot-
eco-initiatives, such as offsetting The telephones ‘power down’ between 7pm printing assessment of the rest of the company.
No cabs to W1 Wood Lane or White and 7am, Monday to Friday, and computer Whatever happens to BBC Worldwide – and
City tubes are more than convenient screens switch to energy-saving mode if inactive criticism of the BBC Trust from commercial
Cycle to work There are 16 showers on for more than 15 minutes. The building’s BMS rivals and senior politicians may yet see the firm
site, so no excuses for not working up a ensures heating is linked to occupied hours, and broken up and sold off – the corporate
sweat to get into the office cooling is provided by passive ventilation, ener- responsibility is not likely to be an issue for any
gy-efficient chilled beams and fresh-air shutters. future investor.
Sustainable Business ❘ October 2009 19
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