Environmental Leader

A new white paper from UK software provider Vizual says that HR departments, as custodians of the workforce data, is in the best position to communicate strategy, influence and change behaviour and put effective systems in place to collect and collate emissions data, Personnel Today reports.

Vizual says that this new role will not increase HR’s workload if HR already has the data on travel and expenses.

Hugh Jones, senior account manager at government agency the Carbon Trust, says they prefer to be flexible about asking a particular department to take ownership. “In general, anything a business can do to take responsibility for emissions is good. In some organizations HR can influence behaviour and a portal owned by HR could be the ideal place for this information.

Richard Ellis, head of corporate social responsibility at Boots, says that, while it’s reasonable for HR to give leadership, all departments have to decide how to deal with carbon emissions.