Camden: Small Steps, Big Difference

Launched in November 2009, Small Steps, Big Difference is a brand name covering all Camden's sustainability services.  Camden residents are able to access free and impartial environmental advice across a wide range of sustainability issues, including growing their food, re-using clothes and home insulation.

To help boost staff engagement in the sustainability agenda, Camden has implemented its 'Ways of Working' values (the WoWs).  'WoWs' feature in all staff job profiles and fosters collaboration, information-sharing, support and creativity amongst staff.

Camden has also included staff within the campaign's target audience, promoting awareness and wiser environmental choices through a new home page linked to Small Steps, and bi-monthly sustainability newsletters. New staff are inducted with sustainability principles, which are also reinforced at other staff events. Through Small Steps, staff and residents alike have access to advice including energy saving, composting, real nappies, growing your own food, water conservation, transport and green fuels.

Residents are able to access the advice service in a number of ways to suit their preference. The service consists of a website enabling residents to browse for information at their own leisure; a freephone environment helpline; a range of drop-in information hubs at popular locations; and a mobile exhibition facility for outdoor events.

Behaviour change

The scheme encourages residents to identify areas of their lives which they could modify to lessen their environmental impact.  These can be submitted as a 'green promise' from a range of behaviours across 10 themes, including water use, energy consumption, travel, food and recycling. The green promise has received celebrity endorsements from Emma Thompson, Arlene Phillips, Ben Elton, Sean Bean and Ester Rantzen.

The scheme has a range of partners that provide services, including free real nappy vouchers, subsidised compost bins, home energy visits and installation of 10 easy measures (via the RE:NEW project), and events showcasing do-it-yourself sustainability measures. Such workshops introduce residents to concepts such as thermal curtains, revamping old clothes, home composting and growing food.  The Camden arm of the Love Food Hate Waste campaign includes free cookery sessions and workshops. Residents and school children are invited to suggest further initiatives of their own.

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