EUROPEAN GREEN OFFICE HANDBOOK

The European Green Office (EGO) Handbook is a comprehensive guide developed by a consortium of European organisations, funded by the European Union, to help offices reduce their environmental impact. It provides a structured framework for implementing a 'light' Environmental Management System (EMS) based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, covering management principles, sustainable procurement, energy efficiency, resource consumption, waste management, sustainable mobility, and healthy work environments.

• The European Green Office (EGO) program is designed as a simplified Environmental Management System (EMS) that follows a Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle to systematically identify environmental impacts, set objectives, implement improvements, and monitor performance.
• Offices are significant consumers of global resources, with the document stating that 40% of raw materials and resources worldwide are consumed by offices.
• To achieve EGO status, offices must adhere to management-related principles (commitment, policy, objectives, and monitoring) and performance-related principles (green procurement, energy efficiency, resource reduction, waste recycling, sustainable transport, and healthy environments).
• Sustainable procurement is highlighted as a tool for organisations to influence market demand and stimulate the eco-market, emphasizing a life-cycle approach to identify 'greener' goods.
• Energy efficiency in offices can be significantly improved through simple behavioral changes; for example, reducing the office temperature by 1°C can lead to a 6% reduction in energy consumption.
• The document identifies lighting, heating, and cooling as the primary sources of energy use in offices, accounting for 63% of total office energy consumption.
• Paper is one of the largest sources of environmental impact in offices, with office paper typically making up 45% of the annual mass of office waste produced.
• The handbook advocates for a waste hierarchy to manage office waste, prioritizing the steps in the following order: Eliminate, Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle, and Dispose.
• Sustainable mobility is encouraged through the use of teleworking, car-sharing, and the promotion of public transport and cycling to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution.
• Indoor air quality (IAQ) is critical for health, as indoor air in offices and homes can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air, potentially leading to 'Sick Building Syndrome' (SBS).
• The handbook suggests that improving indoor air quality can have a high economic return, with productivity benefits potentially being up to 60 times higher than the investment, often recoverable within 2 years.
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the office context includes managing a work-life balance, addressing the needs of an ageing workforce, and ensuring equal opportunities for women and youth.
• The guide recommends using environmentally friendly cleaning products and methods, noting that water-efficient machines can reduce water usage by 70%.
• For conferences and events, the handbook suggests that food and drink are the most significant sources of waste and environmental impact.
• The environmental impact of food is substantial, with the production of 1 kg of beef generating nearly 80 times more greenhouse gas than 1 kg of wheat.

APA

Povodör, A., Bodroghelyi, C., Mouazan, E., Moora, H., Katalin, J., Chipev, K., Kilk, K., Lesage, K., van Meesche, M., Judith, M., Emôke, P., Kern, S., & Ogarelec, V. (n.d.). EUROPEAN GREEN OFFICE HANDBOOK. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/european-green-office-handbook.pdf

Chicago

Povodör, Artur, Csaba Bodroghelyi, Erwan Mouazan, Harri Moora, Járy Katalin, Kamen Chipev, Karin Kilk, et al. EUROPEAN GREEN OFFICE HANDBOOK. Stockholm Environment Institute, n.d. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/european-green-office-handbook.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{povodrndeuropean, author = {Povodör, Artur and Bodroghelyi, Csaba and Mouazan, Erwan and Moora, Harri and Katalin, Járy and Chipev, Kamen and Kilk, Karin and Lesage, Kateri and van Meesche, Marcel and Judith, Molnár and Emôke, Péter and Kern, Spela and Ogarelec, Vida}, title = {{EUROPEAN GREEN OFFICE HANDBOOK}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/european-green-office-handbook.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }