HCMC - The German Business Association (GBA) in Vietnam said on Tuesday it is working with the World Wide Fund for Nature Vietnam (WWF Vietnam) to support and promote the WWF Green Office program to all of its member firms.
This announcement came less than two months after Tanner Vietnam Ltd. was given the WWF Green Office certificate for its successful implementation of an environmental management plan in the workplace. The German business is committed to environmental protection by developing a staff-rewards program for the best employees in green practices.
The company specializing in professional technical documentation has taken proactive actions to cut consumption of electricity by 16%, paper by up to 50% and water by 12%, as well as has more staff using green transportation means to work.
Tanner Vietnam is one of the members of the GBA in Vietnam, whose membership is more than 160. The GBA said it was the first business association in Vietnam to support the WWF Green Office program publicly.
Alexander Bischoff, chairman of the GBA in Vietnam, said support for the program would improve environmental awareness and energy savings amongst and beyond the association’s member corporations.
“Protecting the environment, especially in Vietnam, is no longer a private task but a responsibility for all the society, and therefore its corporations and businesses,” Bischoff said in a statement.
Bischoff quoted the World Bank’s calculations as saying that Vietnam may incur a loss of up to 5.5% of gross domestic product due to environmental pollution and wasted energy each year, and has to spend around US$780 million yearly on community health problems aggravated by pollution-induced diseases.
Bischoff noted some GBA member corporations had succeeded in operating as WWF Green Offices by reducing their consumption of electricity, paper and water remarkably and encouraging their staff to use sustainable transport to commute to work.
“This shows that the WWF Green Office program benefits the corporations, while at the same time creates environmental awareness amongst employees, who transfer their knowledge into their homes, and to family and friends,” Bischoff said.
WWF Vietnam Green Office Coordinator Tabitha Carvan said many GBA member corporations and other business community members would make a difference to the environment in Vietnam.
Initiated by WWF Finland in 1997, the WWF Green Office program helps businesses and other organizations make simple but practical changes to their office environment and to employees’ behaviors to contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change.
Current Green Office Vietnam members include the Finnish embassy, the British embassy and consulate general, and four companies – Tanner Vietnam, Conforama, OUT-2 Design and Toyota Motors Vietnam.
