Third Worldwide ‘be green Day’

Environmental and climate protection is contingent on the contribution of each individual: every yard you don’t travel by car, every page of paper you don’t print from your PC, every lamp that is not turned on. There are many ways to protect the environment and save energy – including at work. To remind people in every country around the world about this responsibility, in 1972 the United Nations declared Jun 5 World Environment Day. Bertelsmann companies around the world are organizing another "be green Day" around this day - the third since the first day of action of this kind in 2009. For most companies, "be green Day" will take place on Jun 5 itself. Due to bank holidays, Random House in the United States and Canada, and Arvato in the UK are moving the day to May 31 and Jun 1 respectively, and Fremantle Media in London is moving it to Jun 27.

At Bertelsmann environmental and climate protection is also an expression of the social responsibility of an internationally leading media and services company, and part of the corporate culture anchored in the Bertelsmann Essentials. Based on the Essentials, in 2008 the Bertelsmann Executive Board initiated the "be green" environmental and climate protection strategy. As part of this strategy in 2011 Bertelsmann published its second Group-wide carbon footprint for fiscal 2010 and has already two organized worldwide "be green Days" for its employees.

The organizers and driving force behind "be green Day" is the "be green" team, an international working group of conservation officers from all corporate divisions - from heads of communications to chief paper buyers. The "be green" team has managed environmental and climate protection at Bertelsmann, jointly and across all divisions, since 2003.

"Every day, each and every employee can save energy on many occasions without a lot of effort, conserving resources and thereby contributing to environmental and climate protection," explains Katrin Gaertner, Director of Public Affairs in Berlin, and coordinator of the global "be green" activities. "With ‘be green Day' we want to encourage our colleagues to think a bit more about the environment every day, and to do something about it."

And the big day will soon be here again: Bertelsmann companies at more than 30 sites in 14 countries around the world will provide information about the issue to their staff on the appointed days, and offer exciting actions and events. Here are some highlights from the agendas at selected locations:

On June 5, Der Club and UFA staff as well as outside guests can expect a varied program at Bertelsmann Unter den Linden 1 in Berlin. In the morning, around 200 students will learn more about the formation of clouds, wind and weather from Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf. The Potsdam climate researcher will read from his book on the topic, and will discuss the causes and consequences of climate change with the children and teens. The improv theater artists from Theatersport Berlin will kick off the evening event by improvising on the theme of environmental protection based on random input from guests and employees. This year’s keynote speech will be given by Prof. Elke Weber of Columbia University, New York, who is researching the psychology of climate change in the field of conflict between development and growth versus responsibility and restriction – at both the individual and collective levels.

At Random House of Canada in Toronto, as many employees as possible will show that you can also get to work easily by bicycle. As part of "Bike to Work Week" from May 28 to Jun 1, the “cycling staff members” are eligible to win attractive prizes. Interest and commitment is also required when the Canadian Random House staff aim to prevent waste at lunch by not always using disposable plastic cups for coffee, or wrapping sandwiches in plastic. On Apr 18 the committed environmentalist and Random House author Adria Vasil was already invited to discuss environmentally responsible behavior at home and work, and on Jun 5 another expert will address the staff of the three sites in the city.

Arvato is calling on the children of employees in Poznan (Poland) to participate in a painting competition. The best pictures will be exhibited later - and, of course, there are attractive prizes to be won again. The employees themselves can also win prizes by completing a quiz on the theme of recycling. To encourage staff to cycle more, Arvato is making hire bikes available free of charge. In Harsewinkel near Gütersloh, employees who share a car to drive to work will be given a parking space especially close to the entrance of the building. Arvato in Treviglio, Italy is giving employees who want to buy a bicycle, and ride it to work of course, discounts from dealers in the town. Prinovis in Ahrensburg is showing the amount of plastic waste that one family alone produces in a year by displaying a huge waste container, set up by a recycling company in front of the plant. The background to this action is the increasing pollution of the oceans by plastic debris. And at Bertelsmann’s headquarters in Gütersloh that evening, the social psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Harald Welzer is a guest on the "Green Sofa." He will discuss the possible repercussions of climate change and our daily struggle against the “end of days” before Bertelsmann employees with the philosopher and "Quer" presenter (Bayrisches Fernsehen) Christoph Süss, in a panel that promises to be packed with facts as well as entertaining.

At the Arvato sites in Great Britain and Ireland, i.e. in London, Dublin and elsewhere, "be green Day" marks the start of the "big switch off" campaign, with posters and stickers reminding employees to turn off computers, monitors, printers, coffee machines and lights when not in use. A "print & pay" and "dress down in green & pay" are also being held: anyone who uses the printer that day or wants to come to work dressed in casual – but green – attire must make a small donation, which will be pooled and forwarded to the WWF.

The "be green" world map gives a comprehensive overview of the actions planned at individual Bertelsmann sites. The divisions’ environmental managers have listed their programs for their "be green day" on it. The map also provides options for "hearting" (liking) an item on the agenda or registering for a program.