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Sustainability in the Workplace: 5 Ways to Influence a Sustainable Behavior Change
Last updated: May, 2023
Do you want your company to achieve net zero?
Then, you need to focus on sustainable behavior change in the workplace. You’re in a unique position to help employees become aware of their emissions and create a culture of sustainable living.
While reducing your carbon footprint will reduce costs, lessen your environmental impact, and improve profitability, it has a knock-on effect on sustainable development.
As a result of going green, you can influence your team and customers to follow in your footsteps, helping to bring down emissions for your company and the world.
Why is Sustainable Behavior Change Important?
For your company to achieve net zero emissions, you need to engage your employees.
Even though individuals are rarely the major contributors, you still need a behavior shift to drive sustainable action. According to the UK’s Committee on Climate Change, 62% of future emission reductions rely on behavior change.
By creating a long-term net zero strategy around a culture of sustainability, it will be easier for you to implement changes, see tangible progress, and benefit from new green policies for your company.
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5 Ways to Influence a Sustainable Behavior Change
Ready to drive sustainable behavior change at scale? Here are some things you can do to increase employee engagement and achieve your net zero goals faster.
1. Bring Visibility to Your Sustainability Goals
Visibility is the first step towards turning your net zero objectives into actionable steps.
To drive sustainable behavior change, you need to spread your sustainability goals and progress your organization, or it could be brushed aside.
One of the best ways to boost awareness is with an employee engagement tool like Emission Sentri. Combining your emissions data from various sources, the software delivers insights across your digital ecosystem on your commitment and progress toward emissions reduction.
From Microsoft Teams to monthly reports, the platform maximizes reach and creates shared responsibility, ensuring your sustainability goals are visible and actionable to all employees.
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2. Offer On-Demand Awareness Training
Knowledge empowers sustainable action.
Tailored, accessible training programs can teach employees about their impact on the environment, make informed decisions, and equip everyone with green skills to take meaningful actions toward reducing their carbon footprint.
It can help your team identify areas to reduce waste (at home or in the office) and provide the tools to implement these practices. For example, reducing the use of single-use plastics, water consumption mindfulness, and energy-saving practices.
That’s not all.
Your employees want sustainability training.
According to Salesforce research on the Sustainability Talent Gap, 8 in 10 global workers want to help their company operate sustainably.
Emission Sentri can help your team incorporate sustainability into their role with on-demand awareness training and certifications ranging from basic to advanced sustainability topics.
Additionally, you’ll receive shareable certificates, which can be promoted on emails and social media. It helps recognize an individual’s commitment to sustainability and shows stakeholders you’re serious about your ESG initiatives.
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3. Use AI for Personalised Recommendations
Making sustainability goals personal is a powerful method for driving sustainability and behavior change because it connects the dots between individual actions and their impact on the company’s broader environmental objectives.
When employees see how their daily choices contribute to achieving net-zero emissions, they are more motivated and engaged in the sustainability journey.
It accelerates progress towards your net-zero targets and fosters a culture of responsibility.
Leveraging AI to offer personalized sustainability tips helps your company bridge the gap and train employees on emissions reduction.
Tools like Emission Sentri can deliver personalized GenAI recommendations by integrating with your existing emissions data sources. Every month, each team member will receive an email suggesting specific and achievable steps to reducing their carbon footprint.
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4. Offer Incentives to Drive Sustainable Behavior
Incentives play a crucial role in motivating employees to adopt new behaviors and contribute to your net zero goals.
You can use it to make choosing “green” the default option and drive environmental behavior change.
For example,
According to Make My Money Matter, switching to a green pension is 21x more effective at reducing your emissions than giving up flying, cutting out meat, and changing to a green energy provider.
Either your company can reward employees for changing their pension scheme, or your company can switch to a green pension provider.
Other incentive options include encouraging more fuel-efficient, low-carbon lease cars and rewarding employees for choosing public transport or subsidizing the cost.
RELATED: Why Employees Want to Work for Sustainable Companies
5. Empower Through Eco-friendly Workspaces
Creating an eco-friendly workspace is a tangible demonstration of a company’s commitment to sustainability. Integrating green practices into the physical environment can influence employee behavior towards more sustainable choices.
For example:
- Adopting energy-efficient lighting and appliances
- Using smart HVAC systems.
- Becoming a paperless office.
- Implementing recycling programs and a zero-waste kitchen policy.
- Avoiding single-use plastic products.
- Using eco-friendly cleaning products.
You can take it a step further and design green workspaces. Bringing plants into the office can increase productivity by 15% and improve employee well-being.
Bridging the Gap Between Sustainability and Behavior Change
Sustainability in the workplace extends beyond corporate policies. It’s about fostering an environment where every employee is a proactive participant in your company’s net zero journey.
By bringing visibility to goals, offering on-demand training, using AI recommendations, and incentivizing eco-friendly choices, you drive environmental behavior change at scale.
It starts with Emission Sentri.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is sustainable behavior change?
Sustainable behavior change refers to altering individuals’ habits and actions to be more environmentally friendly and conscious. The goal is to make these changes a permanent part of our lifestyle to positively impact the planet. - Why is sustainable behavior change critical in achieving net zero emissions?
Sustainable behavior change is vital because it addresses the root causes of greenhouse gas emissions at an organizational level. While technology and policy play crucial roles, the collective actions of individuals within a company can significantly reduce emissions. - What are examples of sustainable behavior in the workplace?
Examples of sustainable behavior in the workplace include adopting energy-efficient practices like turning off lights and electronics when not in use, minimizing paper usage by opting for digital documents and communication, and encouraging public transport, cycling, or walking to work instead of driving.