It's only a matter of time before wolves start roaming New York and we lose Scotland under glacial drifts of snow (well, that’s Hollywood’s take on global warming in the film The Day After Tomorrow). Back in the real world, employees are checking their companies’ green credentials and acting to make their workplace environmentally friendly. Here’s how to avoid wolf bites in the city:

1. Snuggle up in a cardigan. Energy is a massive cost to business and the environment, says Simon Goldsmith, the director of London Environment Centre, which advises businesses on environmental practices. “For every one degree reduction in building temperature, bills can be reduced by 8 per cent,” Goldsmith says. “And every £75 of energy saved avoids the release of a tonne of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.”

2. March of the zombies. It’s easy, when working in an office, to get stuck in bad habits and abdicate your personal responsibility. Simple tests such as emptying your bin at the end of the day or rationing the number of times you press “print” on your PC will make you look at how much waste you (yes, you) produce.

3. Turn it off. IT may claim that switching computers on and off wears out components, but most companies renew such technology every couple of years. “There is a growing re-use market where computers and printers will either go to charities and community groups or be sent overseas,” Goldsmith says. Or you could leave your PC monitor on overnight and waste enough energy to laser print 800 A4 pages.

Business takes the green route

Just how much of a step is big business prepared to take to reduce its carbon footprint?

Background

• Rapid growth in green jobs

• It is cool to be green

• Busy saving the world

• Oxford cultivates green valley effect

Background

• The message is clear

• Sustainable banking Q&A

• Enlisting leaders with principles

• 2012 Games' clean agenda puts green before gold

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4. Bus, car or shoeleather. Transport is a big concern, says Faye McAnulla, environment manager at the energy company E.ON UK, which hands out vouchers for restaurants to those who car-share or use public transport to get to work. The company also subsidises the initial cost of a hybrid company car. Choosing a hybrid car will save money on fuel, she says.

5. Badger procurement. Ask whether your company buys recycled goods, such as paper. The typical office worker gets through 10,000 sheets of paper a year, which amounts to an eighth of one tree.

6. A nice cuppa tea. “Do your company’s vending machines stock fair trade tea and coffee?” Goldsmith asks.

7. Dial #. A conference call is more time and energy efficient than schlepping to Newcastle for a meeting. “But it may not always be appropriate for all meetings, especially if you haven’t met someone before,” McAnulla says.

8. Get engaged. Getting people involved is half the battle, McAnulla says. The other is listening to employees’ suggestions and ideas. “It’s more about cultural change and education than telling people what to do,” she says.

9. Read the small print. Corporate social responsibility should have its own place in your employer’s annual report. Check that it includes measurable targets to reduce carbon emissions and change business practices rather than vague promises, also known as greenwash.

10. Small things. The charity Friends of the Earth says that if we each used one staple fewer a day it could save 120 tonnes of steel a year. Try a stapleless stapler that can bind up to four sheets of paper from www.naturalcollection.com.

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