Switched off to environmental issues? Doing your bit with cutting waste but missing where the next opportunity lies? Or perhaps you are totally committed to environmental action in your business?

If any of those characters sound familiar, it's not surprising.

The Envirowise programme suggests that the environmental behaviour of employees is rooted in four different eco characters':

  • Eco-sceptics are non-committed individuals who perhaps have doubts over the need to act on environmental issues
  • Eco-ignorers undertake the obvious mainstream activities, but are blinkered to the opportunities to take firmer environmental action
  • Eco-implementers are typically committed implementers of resource efficient activity, going beyond the most obvious actions
  • Eco-innovators are pioneers that look to seize the opportunity to improve competitiveness through completing environmental activities

The key to a more profitable and sustainable business is making the best of these characters, as Alan Tillotson, Envirowise Ambassador for Wales, said: "In every company, employees will have different attitudes when it comes to environmental and sustainability issues.

"We hope that business managers in Wales will see that recognising the attitudes of their staff is crucial in encouraging positive behaviour change on environmental matters. We're not trying to say that a company of eco-innovators is best - rather managers should look to take the best from each employee in order to form an effective environmental team."

Gary Pheiffer, chartered occupational psychologist and senior lecturer at London Metropolitan University, said: "The definition of these eco-characters suggests that to bring about organisational change we cannot take a one size fits all' approach.

"Crucially, businesses must tailor their activities to reflect the needs and potential of different individuals. For example, awareness-raising activities or events may be useful for unfreezing' the eco-sceptics, while the eco-innovators could be called on to help enter their organisation for awards linked to sustainable action - which in turn could send out a strong message to their competitors."