The Courts Service quickly recognised that the engagement of staff was key to making energy efficiency gains.

Key Achievements

New sustainability unit set up.

One Small Change campaign launched.

Evidence of behavioural change post-campaign.

Image Courts Service staff engagement poster

'One Small Change' Campaign

The Courts Service operates from 103 venues located across the country, with 1,100 staff. A new Sustainability Unit was established in 2020 and quickly recognised that the engagement of staff was key to making energy efficiency gains. As a result they developed a campaign called 'One Small Change' to highlight the small behavioural changes that cumulatively could make a big difference. This campaign was launched during Energy Efficiency Week in 2021. It focused on one new message each week over the month - switching off lights, powering down and plugging out, use of blinds and reducing kettle overfilling. Out of Hours audits were carried out the month before the campaign and after and examples of changes are evident.

Leadership

The Courts Service CEO, Angela Denning, is hugely supportive of the campaign and leads by example in demonstrating the energy saving actions in workplace posters and in promoting the initiative.

Team Effort

The initiative was led by the Sustainability Unit manager Úna Murphy, with delivery and logistics organised by Susan Murphy in cooperation with our newly established green teams in venues around the country.’

Future Plans

Driven by its own Corporate Strategic Plan (2021-23) and the Government’s Climate Action Plan (2021), the Courts Service developed its Environmental Sustainability Strategy (2021 – 20 24) which sets out the priority areas in their sustainability journey. Engagement and Communication on sustainability is one of four priority areas which will be crystalised into action over the coming years.

Our journey will require action from all of us and I encourage you all to get involved and play your part – in the end this is about all of us, and for all of us.
Angela Denning, CEO, Courts Service

Learn more about engaging staff in energy awareness training in the workplace.

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