Peer Learning Event Celebrates Inspiring Action, Collective Results
The imagineCALGARY Collaborative Action Committee recently organized the first Peer Learning event for 2009. Thanks to the inspiring presentations and thoughtful dialogue, the January 27th meeting set the bar for a milestone year for similar imagineCALGARY events. As one participant noted -- "imagineCALGARY makes readiness more possible!"
The focus of the Inspiring Action, Collective Results Peer Learning event was twofold:
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Profile the great work of imagineCALGARY Partners and the progress they are making towards the imagineCALGARY environmental targets; and, |
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Inspire others to take further action through questions, dialogue, sharing ideas and connecting with new Partners. |
The event included presentations from several key imagineCALGARY Partners who are making impressive commitments to achieving the environmental targets from The imagineCALGARY Plan for Long Range Urban Sustainability:
“The presentations were fun, and passionate, and each organization’s work focused on the impact for future generations,” says Nancy MacKenzie, Chair of imagineCALGARY’s Collaborative Action Committee. “Whether it was the importance of monitoring and measuring progress, building and supporting grassroots social marketing initiatives to encourage behavior change, or identifying ways to increase profits while reducing environmental impact, participants were able to take away many new ideas.”
After the formal presentations, Partners joined working groups that were designed to help everyone share strategies for environmental protection. An exchange of business cards helped encourage future conversations on shared actions.
Highlights of the discussion included:
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Alberta's One Simple Act is focused on public awareness, workshops and community partnerships for energy, waste and water conservation issues. An estimated five to 10 per cent in energy savings can be achieved just by changing an organizational culture. The Calgary Board of Education, University of Calgary and Calgary Public Library have all launched successful social marketing initiatives that build support at the grass roots level rather than mandating top-down behavior. |
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The Calgary Board of Education’s Litterless Lunch Tuesdays provide a great model for reducing waste in the workplace. SwizzleSticks SalonSpa encourages local take-out establishments to allow customers to bring their own reusable containers, and The City of Calgary has new garbage cans that have dramatically reduced the amount of paper being thrown away. |
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The Sierra Club has a campaign underway to make Calgary plastic bag free. The Calgary Public Library eliminated the use of plastic bags in 2008 and agreed to endorse the campaign. SwizzleSticks SalonSpa and REAP Business Association also agreed to get involved. |
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Fort Calgary is in the midst of a cultural landscape plan, providing a model for reduced impact on the environment and increased community benefits. |
“By sharing examples of what environmental programs are happening at their organizations, Partners were able to take a real step toward collaborative action,” says Tracey Read, one of the event organizers. “Our goal was to inspire other members of the Partnership to try new ways of protecting the environment, and it definitely met that target.”
A post-event survey showed that those in attendance found the event both educational and motivational. One hundred per cent of participants were satisfied or very satisfied with the event, and almost 90 per cent found it applicable to their business. All of the attendees said they would be using green strategies for any events they were to host in the future.
Moving Collective Action Forward
In its presentation, The Calgary Public Library combined the total paper waste recycled by the four presenters’ organizations and converted it to the number of trees saved. The remarkable total -- 22,363 mature trees – encouraged organizers to consider the environmental impact that’s happening Partnership-wide.
“The Collaborative Action Committee is hoping to gauge how many trees are being conserved as a result of the efforts of all imagineCALGARY Partners,” Sue Hayduk of the Collaborative Action Committee noted. “Partners can help us find out by providing their organization's waste recycling quota.” Calculating your impact is easy – just remember that one metric tonne of recycled cardboard and paper is the equivalent of 17 mature trees.
You can share your results and also help keep the dialogue alive by visiting the imagineCALGARY community at Ning now. Post your own personal learnings and the actions you have taken as a result of the Stampede Peer Learning event, or use this chance to connect with someone who can help solve a particular challenge your organization is facing. Among the topics being discussed:
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How does your company engage employees in recycling programs? |
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How can you use ideas from other Partners in your organization? |
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How can your organization support the Sierra Club’s campaign to eliminate the use of plastic bags? |
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How do you quantify the benefits of composting and other waste reduction programs? |
