CIBSE carbon reduction campaign

This year’s carbon reduction campaign by CIBSE is aimed at making every hour count.

The launch of 100 Hours of Carbon Clean Up comes on the back of two successive years of the 100 Days of Carbon Clean Up campaign, which last year attracted 700 organisations.

This time CIBSE is challenging UK participants to pledge to commit 100 hours of staff time to carbon-reduction activities, which will involve assigning one member of staff to be their designated “low carbon champion”.

Jacqueline Balian, director of information at CIBSE, said: “The feedback we got about the 100 days idea was that it was too long a period for companies to devote time to but too small to do an annual review. So we decided this year to get companies to assign one person to do 100 hours.

“If that person can devote that amount of time and make a difference, we hope it will inspire those around them to keep that momentum going.”

Declan Rajasingam, low carbon futures manager at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London has signed the museum up for the 2008 campaign. He said: “The 100 Hours campaign is a great initiative and a no-brainer for us. Well done to CIBSE for kicking this off every year.

“I would be happy to do 1000 days to reduce carbon, never mind 100 hours, and I hope that businesses up and down the country will sign up too.

“People think they’re acting in isolation sometimes – why should I bother if no one else does? But, collectively, all the little bits and pieces you do to cut down on your carbon emissions really add up. Let’s hope people carry the campaign past those 100 hours and make their carbon-reduction activities business as usual.”

Organisations that join the campaign have until the end of November to reach the 100 hours target.