People everywhere are feeling the effects of climate change and want to be part of the solution. Business leaders who engage their employees in sustainability initiatives will help them feel more connected and create new opportunities to shape the future.
Extreme weather events, global carbon emissions and biodiversity
concerns
are rapidly accelerating the need for corporate sustainability action. For
years, the private sector has been investing significant resources into
achieving time-bound goals; and now, these investments — together with
advancements in climate technology — are reshaping our economy and creating new
opportunities in the workforce.
Recent WE Communications research, Winning the Battle Against Green
Fatigue,
finds that even as employees are overwhelmingly eager to get involved in their
companies’ sustainability activity, few are actually participating. A targeted
internal-communications strategy can help bridge that divide and mobilize
employees.
Here are four places to focus:
1. Make connections, so employees see the impact of their work.
The bad news: Two-thirds of employees say they have little to no involvement in
their companies’ sustainability efforts. The good news: 78 percent say they
want to take part.
How do employers bridge this gap? Empowering
employees
can change the face of your commitments. Rally every employee to the cause,
regardless of role, and tightly connect sustainability to your organization’s
mission and purpose. Ask employees for their ideas. Upskill them as, for
example, new AI-supported tools come online to rapidly embed sustainability
throughout supply chains.
Driving Internal Organizational Alignment and Better Cross-Functional Collaboration
Join us as leaders from Daggerwing Group, General Mills, J. Lohr Vineyards, Sylvain and Caribou Coffee explore aspects of evolving internal company governance, culture and collaboration that enable stronger connections with consumers across generations and with evolving mindsets — Wed, May 8, at Brand-Led Culture Change.
People want to feel like they are part of something greater; and the right
communications can show employees how their role contributes to the bigger
picture. As your organization makes real progress toward 2030 or 2040 goals,
every employee becomes part of that success.
2. Embrace transparency along the way.
2030 sustainability goals aren't just about back-of-house reporting anymore.
Increasing occurrences of extreme weather — such as
wildfires,
flooding and droughts — have emphasized the immediate impact climate change has
on people’s personal lives and communities. Because employers are integral
members of the communities where they operate, people want to know what their
organization is doing to help.
Other recent WE research, It’s Personal: The New Rules of Corporate
Reputation,
found that 75 percent of people say organizations should be transparent in
communicating what they do in response to issues in society. This need for
transparency is particularly important when companies fall short of
sustainability goals. While only one-third of C-suite executives surveyed in
Winning the Battle Against Green Fatigue agreed that transparent communication
is a must in this situation, nearly half the broader workforce said it’s
necessary. By embracing transparency, leaders show how they’re listening to
employees and have a shared understanding of what’s important.
Transparent communication means you don’t have to wait until you have great
results — keep your employees in the loop with sustainability reporting and
milestones, whether you’re succeeding or falling short. Employees want to be
part of the process; so, involve them early by sharing steps along the way and
they’ll become more invested.
3. Rethink sustainability metrics
In the face of technological advances and workforce changes, integrate
sustainability considerations right up through business planning and tools
deployment. Embedding sustainability throughout organizational processes creates
multiple points to connect with employees and will help address skepticism:
Winning the Battle Against Green Fatigue also found nearly half of employees
(45 percent) suspect their company of
greenwashing
at some level.
To prove your organization is in for the long haul, share sustainability metrics
on a par with other business reporting. When employees hear the CEO talk about
sustainability efforts in the same breath as
earnings
— and with follow-up from their managers on how they tie to team goals — it
demonstrates a central connection to the business.
Steady clarity of communication gives organizations a way to provide a plan to
get back on track when targets are missed. Our research shows that most
employees will forgive setbacks to sustainability goals if there is also clear
information about the path forward.
4. Create sustainability spotlights.
Facing the climate crisis can feel overwhelming; for the individual, it can seem
like a lost battle. Help employees feel the strength in the organization’s
numbers by encouraging sustainable or efficient behavior through rewards and
recognition programs. Highlight benefits that work for people and planet — such
as public-transportation vouchers, volunteer hours to restore a local wetland,
or gift cards for local or sustainable businesses for those who find innovative
ways to conserve company resources. How about a leaderboard that keeps a running
tally of how much carbon employees are keeping out of the atmosphere by taking
advantage of sponsored programs?
These shout-outs can help build momentum throughout the organization and show
people how their direct actions, their colleagues’ efforts, and business
innovations create meaningful outcomes.
People everywhere are feeling the effects of climate change and want to be part
of the solution. Business leaders who engage their employees in sustainability
initiatives will help them feel more connected and create new opportunities to
shape the future.
Published Dec 20, 2023 8am EST / 5am PST / 1pm GMT / 2pm CET
EVP, Corporate Reputation & Brand Purpose
WE Communications
Noah Keteyian is WE’s executive vice president of corporate reputation and brand purpose. He counsels clients to advance executive thought leadership, brand purpose platforms, talent and culture, issues preparedness and global media relations for a range of organizations that have included Microsoft, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Portland General Electric, Intel, Khan Academy, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Global Philanthropy Forum.
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