Nearly 75 percent of U.S. workers who participate in their employer’s environmental and social responsibility efforts are more likely to make sustainable choices at home, according to the Gibbs & Soell Sense & Sustainability Study, released this week.
Of those surveyed, 74 percent also said they are interested in learning what companies are doing to “go green” and 68 percent wish their own company or employer would engage in more sustainable business practice.
“There is a lot of research around motivating consumers to make more sustainable purchases from the perspective of product marketing, so we decided to investigate the opportunity to influence them in the workplace,” said Ron Loch, principal and managing director, sustainability consulting at Gibbs & Soell. “We found that the ripple effect of engaging employees in sustainability activities means they are more likely to practice sustainability at home and encourage neighbors to do the same.”
While most of those surveyed expressed interest in getting involved in company sustainability initiatives, two-thirds said they are not sure if there is anyone at their company who is responsible for sustainability.
The report reflects that many employers are not doing enough to inform employees about sustainability initiatives or offer inroads to getting involved. A recent report released by financial services firm Jones Lang LaSalle claims companies that implement successful sustainability initiatives solicit employee participation and recommends organizing the engagement process into three phases: raising awareness, building engagement and maintaining commitment.
Gibbs & Soell is a global business communications firm with expertise in sustainability consulting and employee engagement for advanced manufacturing, agribusiness, financial services, and home and building markets. While this is the company’s fourth annual survey, it is the first edition to poll workers about corporate commitment to environmental and social responsibility.
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Founder & Principal Consultant, Hower Impact
Mike Hower is the founder of Hower Impact — a boutique consultancy delivering best-in-class strategic communication advisory and support for corporate sustainability, ESG and climate tech.
Published Apr 4, 2013 5pm EDT / 2pm PDT / 10pm BST / 11pm CEST