Lets go green fellows

Assignment on an environmental issue

Nadeeshan Waduge Student ID: 00003608

Assignment Excess use of Energy

1.0

Executive Summary

The following proposal is based on a prevailing environmental issue in Toyota Lanka (Private) Limited and proposed solutions to rectify it. The initial assessment identifies a major issue at Toyota Lanka which contributes to carbon foot print. According to assessment findings High energy consumption at Toyota Lanka especially in service workshop area is a major issue in relation to carbon footprint. Also it is identified that the awareness level of employees and organizations commitment for energy efficiency is low contributing to the above issue. To address the environmental issue unearthed in assessment findings, a special project named Lets Go Green Fellows! is declared for a period of 6 months. A set of critical activities is proposed along with project objectives and goals to create awareness on the energy efficiency among employees and minimize the environmental issue at Toyota Lanka. This proposal also includes Information on Beneficiary Population, project team, project limitations and concludes with proposed timelines and budgetary requirements.

Assignment Excess use of Energy

2.0

Introduction

Carbon foot print is the amount of carbon dioxide released to environment due to the energy that people use. Energy efficiency in organizations (reducing the amount of energy required to provide product and services) is a rising topic around the business globe as it directly impacts the reduction of Carbon footprint. Through achieving energy efficiency, an organization can contribute to the environment by reducing carbon emission while making handsome cost savings. In Toyota Lanka the main energy source used is electricity and it is identified that the consumption levels of electricity is at high levels and also the awareness levels among employees in efficient use of electricity is at very low levels. This project proposal solely explains the above mentioned environment issue and includes a list of activities to mitigate the situation and achieve higher energy efficiency levels.

3.0

Assessment Findings Toyota Lanka is the sole authorized distributor for Toyota vehicle sales and aftersales services in Sri Lanka. The highest electricity consuming area is service workshop where lots of high advanced tools are in operation. Also the central spare parts stores and service workshop needs brighter lights for better visualization and smooth operation. Therefore the cost for electricity is very high. According to the electricity expenses in last three years it is at a steady rise.

2011 |
9.5 Mn

2012 |
10.3 Mn

2013
10.7Mn

Assignment Excess use of Energy

High electricity consumption at Toyota Lanka Service workshop and Central Spare parts stores

High lighting and advanced equipments used in service workshop

High lighting in central Spare parts Store

Assignment Excess use of Energy

As at November 2013, the expense for electricity stands at 29.82% out of total overheads at Toyota Lanka which is a very high percentage.

8.36% 29.82

5%

12.12% 18.64

8% 2.7 12.79 Communication Insurance Water Travelling Rent

3%

Stationary Proffesional Fees Electricity

Repair Maintenance

Breakdown: Overheads of Toyota Lanka

A questionnaire containing simple questions on energy efficiency was given to employees covering all departments in order to evaluate the awareness on energy efficiency and also to monitor the generic attitude towards energy saving. The results are as follows, Points were awarded based on the question and following is the average score gained by employees

What is your general attitude towards energy saving? 01| Very positive & aware 02| partly aware 03| Neutral How aware are you of the environmental impact of energy use? 01| Very aware 02| mostly aware 03| Aware to an extent How much energy do you use at work? 01| High energy user 02| Moderate energy user

Executives
04| mostly aware

52
35 14 21 18

Managers Technicians Support Staff Trainees

03| Low user

04| I dont know what it is

How aware are you of ways in which you can save energy? 01| I am very aware and updated 02| I know 3-4 ways How motivated are you to save energy?

03| Im not aware at all

01| Im very much motivated and Ill influence others also 02| Im motivate but not sure whether if others will help me 03| Im not motivated at all I have better things to do

Sample questionnaire energy efficiency

Assignment Excess use of Energy

Summary- Assessment findings Following can be summarized as the contributing factors to high energy.

Use of powerful lights at the service workshop & Parts store.

Use of advanced technical equipment / computers

High energy consumption

No mechanism or incentive to monitor and control ever increasing electricity consumption

Low awareness levels on saving energy

4.0

Rationale behind project implementation

According to the assessment it is conclusive that Toyota Lanka has an environmental issue of high electricity consumption as the cost for electricity is at a steady rise. If the trend continues it will have a high impact on environment as well as on company overheads. According to the questionnaire conducted on energy efficiency it is also evident that the awareness levels of employees are low and there is no sufficient commitment towards energy efficiency. Therefore as a reputed company which has a high social responsibility I strongly recommend to run an awareness campaign on importance of saving energy which will be instrumental in reducing carbon footprint of our organization and in financial perspective would cut down costs involved with energy wastage. The proposed activities, implementation schedule and involved costs are briefed in the next phase for your kind perusal.

Assignment Excess use of Energy

Lets go green fellows!

5.0 Project Goal Empowering employees to ensure the way we run our business places minimum burden on our environment

6.0

Project Objectives

01) To reduce electricity consumption by 10% by the end of calendar year 2014. 02) Implement three new initiatives for energy efficiency within the company by calendar year 2014. 03) Raise the awareness levels on energy efficiency to 60% among all employees by the end of August 2014.

7.0

Action Plan

The action plan consists of following 3 main areas, Critical activities that can instantly cut down excessive energy usage. A inter departmental competition on energy saving which will encourage good practices within the organization. A comprehensive awareness campaign on energy saving among employees.

Assignment Excess use of Energy

01. Critical Activities Cut off currently used fluorescent lights (40W) in service workshop and central spare parts store with specially formulated Translucent sheets manufactured in Australia which provides better lighting and cost effectiveness. Through this initiative it is expected to cut down 25% of the electricity cost for Service workshop and Central spare parts store as well as the excessive heat generation caused through fluorescent lights. Also these sheets come with 15 year guarantee which is an additional advantage. Install separate switches for some areas in the office where over 10 lights are controlled by only one switch. Through this initiative we can switch on depending on the lighting requirement and switch off when it is unnecessary. Keep the air condition system precise and in good working condition as it accounts most of the energy used in office area. Also a programmable thermostat should be fixed in the air conditioning system in order to adjust according to the temperature. Through this way the air conditioning can be adjusted to working hours 8.00 a.m. 5.00 p.m. and also to adjust in cold weather. Implement corporate energy efficiency policy of Shutting down computers, printers and all electronic devices when leaving office. This should be implemented by HR, Legal & Compliance department and should be strictly monitored through respective line managers of departments. Arrange Switch off if not used labels in mostly neglected areas like wash rooms to create the habit of switching off lights when they leave. Regulations on buying energy efficient models when buying new electronic machinery and equipments. This should be communicated to Administration department through HR, Legal & Compliance department.

Assignment Excess use of Energy

02. Inter Departmental competition on energy saving. A special competition with attractive cash prizes will be organized to select the best department which best comply with above discussed energy policies. Also special prizes will be given for individuals and teams who have generated new initiatives to save energy in work place. This will help gain acceptance for long term energy saving activities and also encourage employees to share best practices related to energy saving. 03. Awareness Campaign on energy efficiency among all employees. Arranging a special workshop which harps on the importance of energy efficiency, ways and means of saving energy in the yearly training plan of HR department. This will aid in achieving objective no: 03. Declare a week for energy efficiency and use common wallpaper consisting of energy saving message issued by management. A sticker/poster campaign on energy saving including appealing captions within the organization will also be launched in relation to the energy efficiency week.

8.0

Benefits through the implementation of the project

The beneficiary population through this initiative can be simply shown as all animals, plants and humans surrounding the organization as energy efficiency directly impacts reduction of carbon foot print. The other advantages for organization is as follows, Pleasant environment improves employee productivity and customer comfort. Improved organization image while having sustained business profits.

Assignment Excess use of Energy

10

9.0

Project Team

The Head of HR/Legal and compliance at Toyota Lanka would be appointed as the project manager since he is vastly experienced and has the knowledge and skill to launch an awareness campaign within the company. His main task would be to manage the project from initiation to the completion. He also needs to assign duties and responsibilities to team members and clearly clarify their roles within the team which would unable timely achievement of proposed objectives. Also two executives from HR and marketing departments along with a Finance executive will work for the project. Service Workshop Manager, Parts Store Manager and all Line managers are also a part of the team.

Head of HR/Legal and compliance (Project Manager)

Service Workshop Manager

Parts Store Manager

Line Managers of all departments

HR Executive 01

Major HR challenges Executive 02

Marketing Executive 01 Marketing Executive 02

Finance Executive 01

Assignment Excess use of Energy

11

10.0

Major Challenges

The major challenge in this would be to gain acceptance from other departments as the benefits of the project are long term and also it is not appealing for the individuals. (According to questionnaire the awareness and commitment for energy efficiency initiatives are low within the company) Naturally there may be resistance to change and adapting to energy saving initiatives will take time. The success of the whole project depends on overcoming this challenge as acceptance and motivation of employees on energy efficient concept is crucial in implementing activities within the organization. The other challenging aspects is as follows, Project members lack of expertise on the subject Employees not having time to think on new initiatives on energy efficiency at working time. The high prices of involved with energy efficient equipments. Commitment of team members as they primarily have office work to be completed in working hours However the above challenges can be mitigated through following actions. Team briefings The project manager should brief the whole team about possible challenges related to the project. This would raise the awareness levels of team members which will help them in identifying challenges and adapting to situations accordingly. Brain storming sessions Brain storming sessions involve gathering of all team members and generating a list of ideas to overcome specific issues. This will also contribute largely in overcoming project challenges.

Assignment Excess use of Energy

12

11.0

Budgetary Requirements

The proposed budget for the project Lets go green fellows! is as follows, Activity
Installing Translucent sheets in workshop Installing a programmable thermostat in AC system Wiring and installing separate switches Workshop for employees on energy efficiency A special competition on energy efficiency Internal promotions Poster campaign, labels, etc Miscellaneous Total

LKR
1,000,000 500,000 15,000 250,000 300,000 50,000 25,000 2,140,000

12.0

Implementation Schedule

The following will demonstrate the implementation of project including the relevant time schedules, activities, & responsibilities assigned to each individual.

Activity Installing translucent sheets in workshop Installing thermostat in AC system Wiring and installing switches Workshop for employees on energy efficiency Internal competition Internal promotions Evaluation Review & control

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

June

Responsibility Project Manager & Workshop / Parts Manager Project Manager & Workshop / Parts Manager Project Manager & Workshop / Parts Manager / Line Managers Project Manager HR/Marketing Executives Project Manager HR/Marketing Executives HR/Marketing Executives The whole project team The whole Project Team

Assignment Excess use of Energy

13

13.0

Performance evaluation

The success of the proposed project will be measured as follows, 01) The reduction of electricity consumption before the implementation vs. after implementation of project. 02) Evaluating timeliness and cost factors of the project. (Wether the project completed timely within estimated budgets). 03) Number of new implementations on energy efficiency within the organization. 04) Awareness levels on energy efficiency among all employees. (This is measured through a questionnaire).