Pictures: Doug Krikler, Chief Executive and David Janner-Klausner, Programme and Planning Director in front of the bike shelter, paid for by a grant from the TfL Enterprise Scheme, facilitated by the London Borough of Camden as part of UJIA’s Travel Plan.
Case Study: The UJIA
There are plenty of changes organisations can make to be greener and more energy efficient. Below is a case study of UJIA on Reducing their Environmental Impact. Prepared by David Janner-Klausner, Programme and Planning Director, UJIA
Changing place is a powerful lever for a radical alteration of life’s trajectory. This common sense observation is underlined in the Babylonian Talmud. In tractate Rosh HaShana there is a discussion of actions that can alter the verdict placed on a person during the Days of Awe as Yom Kippur approaches. The first part of this discussion is familiar from the Yom Kippur prayer: “Rabbi Isaac further said: Four things cancel the doom of a man, namely, charity, supplication, change of name and change of conduct.” Then the Talmud adds: “Some say change of place [also avails]” (Page 16b, Soncino1938 Edition).
The outcome of our “doom” is in our hands. The article below will show how when UJIA was handed the opportunity of a change of place it used it to start altering its approach to sustainability. Although a move presents a unique opportunity many of the measures and principles described can be implemented in situ.
Background: change of address – change of approach
UJIA’s move out of Balfour House in North Finchley after 29 years presented multiple opportunities: changing working arrangements; a more accessible location and a design that reflected UJIA’s nature as a young, collaborative organisation.
From the outset, UJIA decided to take advantage of the move to reduce the carbon footprint of its headquarters.
Three fundamental decisions followed immediately:
- The new offices would be far smaller and use of space would be more efficient with an open-plan layout.
- The new office had to be highly accessible by public transport.
- No staff parking would be provided, although provision of disabled parking was essential and limited guest parking desirable.
A year before the move UJIA implemented a multiple materials recycling programme in Balfour House as a precursor to arrangements in the new building and to ensure that when the time came for clear-out, recycling would be fully established.
Having found the property we now occupy in Camden Town, focus shifted to maximising the environmental benefits from the move through a series of design and procurement decisions, as well as support for staff in adapting to new travel routines.
Our new building is leased to us for ten years, with a five-year break clause. This means that we are limited in making changes to the fabric of the building and to key systems – they either belong to the landlord or the cost of change cannot be recovered over the period to the break in the lease. In a new build or a comprehensive redevelopment, issues relating to the fabric of the building could have been addressed – for example, insulation, air tightness and possibly installation of renewable energy devices.
The list below shows the outcome of the decisions we made within the strictures of this particular relocation. What has been fundamental for us is the mindset that seeks to extract an environmental improvement from decisions wherever possible. In most cases, this insistence also yields economic benefits.
Measures to reduce UJIA’s carbon footprint:
- Fit-Out
- Energy
- Waste
- Travel
- Purchasing and Materials Policies
- Communications and Publicity
T0 read details on the above click here
The Wider Perspective
The connection between the UK Jewish community and Israel lies at the heart of UJIA’s raison d’être. It is a mission that generated a great deal of carbon emissions through flights and these will pose a growing conundrum for us as awareness of climate change and economic measures such as carbon taxes and individual carbon allowances are adopted.
The challenge for UJIA will be twofold: how can we maintain the link with Israel with far fewer opportunities for flying, and how do we persuade people to use their precious personal carbon allowances to go to Israel rather than anywhere else? These are questions that may at the moment seem far-fetched: Easyjet has just started flying from Luton to Tel Aviv for less than £35.00 one-way (lowest fare) so the flights seem more accessible than ever. However, the economic environment and the mood towards flying could change rapidly and UJIA needs to be prepared. It may well be that in a few years, short-stay trips to Israel will be unsustainable and the whole model of engagement needs to be re-thought.
As well as seeking to be a model of environmental good practice in our London headquarters, similar measures have been adopted by other UJIA offices. We are making efforts to incorporate more energy saving elements in capital projects we support in Israel and have engaged with environmental organisations as part of our development strategy in the Galil. These activities, under the collective name of “UJIA Green Thread” combine with UJIA’s work in Jewish education to ensure that environmental awareness is increasingly embedded in what we do.
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