Making your NGO more ‘environmentally friendly’

Your organisation has an impact on the environment. How can you make it better?

Look at any buildings you have made.

What materials did you choose? If local materials, did you build with wood harvested when they cut down local forests? This rewarded the people destroying an irreplaceable resource. Or did you get wood from renewable plantations? If you used cement, did it come from overseas, using a lot of resources for transportation? Did you have any other choices – and would those choices have cost more – or been cheaper in terms of world resources?

Look at how you prepare meals for your staff.

What fuel do you use? Local wood? Paraffin? Solar power? Can you find a ‘greener’ alternative?
Is the food locally grown? Are you using any toxic chemicals when there are natural alternatives?

Look at your use of transport.

» Can you add some helpful activities – e.g. planting trees or supporting a group building sustainable tree management?

» Does your NGO have an environmental policy? Are you happy with it?