Cultivating a green culture at work can be difficult. That is why we’ve come up with a list of activities that you can implement in the workplace to encourage a more sustainable work culture.
Cultivating agreen cultureat work can be difficult. That is why we’ve come up with a list of activities that you can implement in the workplace to encourage a more sustainable work culture.
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Recruit Your Very OwnEnvironmental SustainabilityTeam
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Arrange Volunteer Opportunities for the Company
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Provide Training ForSustainability
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Implement A Software To Monitor Progress
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Encourage Healthy Competition Amongst Employees
We often go about our day not realising how much waste we produce, from 1000 pieces of paper to easily discarded plastic coffee cup lids we get every day.
According to Road Runner, an average worker produces ‘2 pounds worth of mixed paper waste products daily and uses 10,000 sheets of paper each year!’And that’s only paper.
The accumulated waste that a regular employee produces per year is unfathomable. It has a detrimental impact on our environment including surrounding communities, natural habitats and marine ecosystems.
Source: https://www.roadrunnerwm.com/blog/office-worker-waste-generation
Encouraging agreen culturein the workplace can significantly reduce this unnecessary waste.
“I have yet to meet a company that can figure out how to do sustainability just by the CEO or Vice President.”
Sustainability advocateand author ofStrategy for Sustainability
Apart from the obvious benefits (protecting the environment), studies have proven cultivating a green culture amongst employees canincrease productivityand motivation, boost cognitive thinking of employees and promote an overall healthy work environment.
Ready to transform yourorganisational culture? Here are a few ways you can engage your teammates to go green!
#1 Recruit Your Very OwnEnvironmental SustainabilityTeam
Gather a handful of people who you believe would make a good fit in implementing sustainable practices within the workplace. Perhaps gather once a month to discuss alternative use of office resources. For example the switch to biodegradable cups from styrofoam cups for the water/coffee machine.
This is one of the best methods to engage employees. Instead of having a set of rules from high-level executives handed down to them, employees are encouraged to pitch in their ideas. In this way, they have a say in the matter and will feel encouraged to contribute.
#2 Arrange Volunteer Opportunities for the Company
According to the Boston College Centre of Corporate Citizenship, it was found that 90% of companies studied reported higher levels ofemployee engagementas part of having an employee volunteer program.
Sign your company up with initiatives such as the Plantation Enrichment Program. Invested by the Hong Kong government, this project aims to restore barren hillsides and eroded slope through afforestation. Volunteer opportunities and corporate collaborations withGreen Earthare available.
#3 Provide Training ForSustainability
Studies show that the implementation of anEnvironmental Management System(EMS) maintains the firm’scompetitive advantage(Daily and Huang, 2001). It is postulated that employee involvement in EMS implementation has the ability to influence its effectiveness and overall success (Pallavi and Bhanu, 2016).
Employees play an integral role in facilitating the success of sustainable practices. Hence why internal tools and resources such as online coaching and offline events arekey.
ProSage’s ESG Online Learning Curriculum can educate employees across the entire organisation on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) concepts. Case studies, videos and best practices are customised the Asian market so employees can gain practical knowledge on how to further develop the firm’ssustainable development goals.
#4 Implement A Software To Monitor Progress
Having sustainability software will benefit your team in several ways. It will streamline processes, monitor and report progress on achieving the company’s sustainability goals, ensure compliance with international reporting standards and/or ESG stock exchange reporting requirements.
With sustainability software, you can lead your green team into making smarter data-driven decisions. With the right software, you will be able to create and seamlessly integrate a sustainable business model within the firm.
With this, not only will employees gain new skills from the software but also a facilitator in the firm’s sustainable development goals.
#5 Encourage Healthy Competition Amongst Employees
Healthy competition i
s essential for a team. It promotes teamwork and gives team members a chance to collectively solve a problem. By stimulating creativity and pushing boundaries, team members can formulate innovative solutions on the sustainability front.
For example, an award can be established by the firm. This can be given to a team(s) when they meet a company sustainability goal.
By rewarding employees that come up with new ideas to meet the company’s sustainability goals, the firm will increase employee satisfaction and engagement.
