The Work Clinic

Thanks for this post- I confess I'm conflicted. While the wasteful use of paper is,indeed, a problem- and I congratulate you for taking concrete action-we are primarily a tactile society, especially those of us over 40.

Will people get the same warm feelings from an e-card that we get from opening that envelope and taping it to the wall? Of course do we get warm feelings from yet another machine-stamped vendor card?

Overcoming people's lack of connection when using electronic tools is what we're all about here at www.greatwebmeetings.com, and I'll be interested in reading what others think.

WWT

I really like Green Park's plant for each placement scheme.

Let's take it a step further. A tree for every 50 parking tickets issued. A tree every time a train is late... a tree for every failed government initiative...

Before we know it global warming will have been cracked!

NH

Yes...this is all heading in the right direction, and this initiative will be good for the public profile of Green Park. However, if they really want to cut down on CO2 emissions, then please, please, please teach candidates who register, how to rewrite their working history as an interesting and focused 2-page resume. Most can't, and very few do, simply because candidates, clients and employees have little idea of what they're looking for, what need is required or what they're positioned as.

Charles Helliwell

Knowing Green Park's amazing growth, this is a good move and I'm sure the Woodland Trust will appreciate all those trees - well done and good thinking.

Bravo. I fully support such initiatives, and wish that other companies followed Green Park's lead. Electronic Christmas cards may seem a bit gimmicky, but it's worth bearing in mind that each UK family will use something in the region of 1.01 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the festive period (according to the World Land Trust).

We all need to look at how our business practices can have an impact on the world around us. Ethical pragmatism is the way forward.

Graham Miles

To mis(use) an old phrase, what I like about this initiative is that "a tree is not just for Christmas"!

If it had been just a seasonal gesture (and there are plenty of them out there!) then this might have fallen into the gimmickry category, but clearly this Green Park project, like the trees, has deeper roots (anything for a cheap pun...) and I hope they make a lot of placements and plant a lot of trees in 2008 and beyond.

On the cards themselves, I'm perhaps with Wayne in still being a little conflicted - on one hand I don't like the lack of tangibility with e-cards, but at the same time there is little worse either than the dreaded "corporate" Christmas cards - anyone for a snowy Victorian scene of London Bridge? (with apologies to all readers who have ordered 2000 of those.)

Hence this year I'll be sending a Christmas message rather than cards + a charitable donation instead.

For those who want to stick with the real cards, then good on you too, but please don't forget to recyle them afterwards, will you?

I think this is a great initiative, and a great opportunity for Green Park to be raising awareness about sustainability with their many clients. I'm personally grappling, at the moment, with what it truly means to put sustainability at the heart of business.

As a consultant who travels extensively for my work, I am very conscious of both the size of my environmental footprint but also the opportunities I have to influence my clients towards positive action. I believe that the best means we have for engendering the cultural change required to confront climate change is dialogue and awareness raising. Every time we engage in 'dialogue' - whether that's by the plant for placement scheme, or by questioning the very fundamentals of our business models - we are 'being the change'.

It's my feeling that increasing numbers of organisations will feel compelled to introduce innovative CSR schemes like the one Raj and his team at Green Park have created not just to meet their environmental and social obligations but also to meet the needs of their employees - who will want to see that their employer is a responsible and caring business rather than a rogue, pariah organisation that can't see beyond the bottom line.

I think this is a great initiative and reflective of the whole Green Park ethos that Raj and Steve run their business on.

It also reflects the entrepreneurial spirit that has seen Green Park grow.

This is a good idea and if we could spread the word and our influence we may persaude many more organisations to follow suit. My only plea would be that the tress that are planted should be the ones that are endangered. Over 8,000 species, representing 10% of the planet's tree flora, are threatened with extinction principally through woodland and forest destruction and unsustainable felling for timber. There are 62 endangered European species so I look forward to Green Park planting plenty of Yew, Wych Elm, Ash, Elder and Whitebean trees in 2008, along with a few ancient fruit varieties.

I think this is an excellent initiative. As more companies use e-cards, and the reasons behind them more widely communicated, I think a lot of people will decide that the loss of some tactile pleasure set against the environmental benefits is a good trade. After all, it’s the thought that counts, isn’t it?

Reading further, I was astounded to see on the Woodland Trust website that an estimated 1 billion (!) Christmas cards were sent in the UK last year. That’s 17 for every man, woman, child and baby. The trust is aiming to recycle over 100 million of these this year and you can take your Christmas cards for recycling to any WH Smith, Tesco, M&S or TK Maxx between 2 and 31 January.

A Very Decent approach towards environment protection and placement dedication. Even I would be pleased to have in touch with u people.