Topical Information

We spend a significant part of our lives in office spaces. We exhaust resources, contribute to the release of harmful emissions into the atmosphere, clog the surface of the earth with waste. Globally, 40% of raw materials and resources are consumed by "office plankton". A special report prepared by our colleagues calculates the volume of harmful emissions generated by our stay and work in the office, moving from meeting to meeting or from organized events.

It is frightening that each of us leaves a heavy imprint, from our unreasonable attitude towards the environment. Sharing this understanding, the NSORB team adopted the idea to expand the good habits of separate collection of waste, saving water and energy and to include new challenges in their daily business life - to work in a "green office".

It is not without pride that we share with you that from 2021 to today, just by collecting paper and plastic waste separately, we have saved 26 trees and saved 2,300 kg of carbon dioxide, 60,000 liters of water and electricity consumed in 6 months of for a Bulgarian household.

These results made us ambitious to set new goals: by January 1, 2025, to reduce the carbon emissions resulting from our activity and the work of the office by 15% (compared to 2022). Thus, we will reduce the carbon dioxide generated by 25 tons.

By order of the executive director of NAMRB, "Green practices" have already been introduced in the work of the association, tailored to the specifics of our work. They cover planned investments and rules of conduct in several aspects:

• energy consumption;
• consumption of paper and other natural products;
• waste generation;
• transport and mobility;
• green initiatives in the conduct of events.

According to the United Nations, worldwide, every year we lose 88,000 square kilometers of natural forest. That equates to roughly one football field every two seconds. In 2022, 80,000 sheets of paper were used in the NSORB office, which is an average of 10 sheets per person per day. According to various sources, on average, offices use 50 sheets per person per day. The relatively good result of the NSORB team is due to the measures taken in recent years, such as: paperless coordination and signing of documents, working in a shared workspace, avoiding the printing of voluminous materials at large forums, etc.

On the eve of Forest Week, we invite you to reconsider the need for printing and turn your attention to saving paper in the office.

The transport sector is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Consideration of suitable routes provided by public transport, shared travel and adoption of the rules for ecological driving are part of the measures introduced in its activity by the NAMRB. Organizing a large forum inevitably comes at an environmental cost, as large amounts of water, energy and materials are consumed, resulting in waste and greenhouse gas emissions. In recent years, NAMRB has reduced the holding of large attendance events and is rethinking the formats in which it carries out meetings, trainings and discussions.

NAMRB already sets requirements for environmental sustainability and for working with local producers to venues and their suppliers. To calculate the carbon footprint of their work, the NAMRB team used a carbon conversion methodology developed by the former Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (now the Department for Energy Security and Zero Emissions) of the British Government. The methodology is updated annually.

"Green practices" are only possible through teamwork. They will only be successful if we all accept and implement them.

Join us! If you would like to develop rules for green workplace policies in your municipality, our team will be happy to assist you!