Decarbonising corporates is one of the biggest levers we can pull in the fight against the climate crisis. And with 8 out of 10 employees willing to take action on climate change within their current role, it’s time to go beyond reusable cups and tree-planting days, writes WorkforClimate Director Lucy Piper.
Walk into any company in 2024 and you’re likely to find a ‘Green Team’. Typically led by the company’s most sustainably minded folk, these teams tend to be made up of a handful of well-meaning advocates who do what they can to make a positive impact on our environment with very little (often zero!) resources.
Any given Green Team might be advocating for company-wide uptake of reusable cups; encouraging colleagues to walk, ride or take public transport to work; running employee tree-planting and/or litter-picking days; and making sure that all company waste finds its way to the correct bin. Well-intentioned though they may be, many Green Teams default to focusing on shifting the behaviour of their colleagues rather than shifting the behaviour of the business. And it’s in the business that the real opportunity lies.
Experts are now warning that without “relentless” emissions cuts, we’ll be facing global warming beyond 3-degrees celsius, resulting in catastrophic impacts for our civilisation and the natural systems we depend upon. This will have a huge impact on our own health too, with research finding that already, 70% of the global workforce is exposed to health risks from climate change. So how do we make the transition from advocating for reusable cups at work to advocating for renewable energy?
Businesses have a huge role to play in ensuring a safe and stable climate for future generations. While it’s true that fossil fuel organisations are responsible for the vast majority of global emissions, tens of thousands of businesses operating in Australia today are fueled by fossil fuels (or unwittingly invested in them) and are having an enormous climate impact of their own. The good news is that every business – no matter its size or shape – can decarbonise, switch to renewables, and lobby for more progressive policy on climate.
Thankfully, a new wave of climate advocates are wising up to these facts and are transforming organisations from the inside out. According to a study by Kite Insights, 8 out of 10 employees are willing to take climate action within their current roles, with 70% of employees noting that acting on climate was important to their sense of motivation and wellbeing at work. We call these people ‘climate intrapreneurs’. Instead of leaving their jobs to go and work in sustainability, they’re staying where they are and making their voices heard. These individuals are driven by a muscular and active sense of hope, and empowered by increasing access to research, tools and resources to help them do this work.
Organisations like WorkforClimate are helping equip these intrapreneurs with the tools they need to confidently step into climate leadership. We support individuals from a massive range of industries and seniority levels to make meaningful and lasting change within their companies. From switching to 100% renewable energy to decarbonising supply chains and shifting money out of organisations that support fossil fuels (eg. the Big Four banks). These individuals are creating a groundswell of positive change in the corporate sector – and that change transcends industries, sectors and traditional business hierarchies. We are seeing change led by individuals from up, down and across company org charts. And it’s incredibly exciting.
David McGlade is one such example. David is an engineer, and after attending one WorkforClimate’s early climate leadership courses, David took his newfound knowledge back to work and managed to convince is boss to shift the entire company to 100% renewable energy. Elsewhere, we’re seeing WorkforClimate alumni help their companies move to recycled packaging, get solar panels installed on their office roofs, and even convince their employers to abandon corporate sponsorships with fossil-fuel-aligned organisations.
This work is about holding the companies we work for to a higher standard, without finger-wagging or shaming. It’s also about preparing the companies we work for the coming climate transition. Like it or not, climate and carbon regulations will impact every organisation in Australia. Not only that, but consumer sentiment is shifting too – people want the organisations they buy from and work for to be doing right by climate too. Those who do the work now to get ahead of those changes and trends won’t just be doing right by the planet, they’ll have a competitive advantage and be able to attract better talent, too.
Green Teams had a role to play, and instilling a deeper sense of climate awareness into corporate culture was and remains important work. But we no longer have time for small-scale initiatives – we need company-wide interventions, and we need to create a movement of employees who are confident and empowered to lead that change from within. This work isn’t glamorous, but it is deeply rewarding. And decarbonising might just be the single most important piece of work your company does this decade.
WorkforClimate equips changemaking professionals with the tools, training and support they need to become effective climate leaders at work. Find out more by joining the WorkforClimate community or sign up for the flagship WorkforClimate Academy program at workforclimate.org
Lucy Piper’s bio:
Lucy Piper is the Director of WorkforClimate – a non-profit that equips climate-concerned professionals with the education, resources and community to make impactful change in their workplace. After a decade in the corporate sector, Lucy turned her skills towards climate solutions and helping businesses around the world to decarbonise, faster.
Lucy believes that businesses are key to solving the climate crisis and that employees are critical to its success. By increasing practical climate literacy in every role and department, Lucy and WorkforClimate are empowering professionals to push for change and helping build the climate movement inside the corporate sector.
