Ways to Take Climate Action at Work
Below are 12 tips that create change. Start out small and give one a try.
1
Form a hive, a group that meets regularly
Medium Effort // For Culture Change
One of the most important things you can do is to find–or form if there's not one already–a group of motivated pro-climate colleagues. This group becomes the visible face of what students or employees want and helps reinforce a culture of climate action. Together, you will be able to identify areas of needed attention and provide an appreciated home for transforming the organisation or the industry.
Identify together places that could be improved: Can you influence the reduction of trash and plastic use? Avoid landfill-clogging swag from being distributed? Find ways to encourage plant-based eating and cycling/public transport commutes? Or find new opportunities for the organisation to benefit in the green transition? These are all topics you can talk through and work on in a recurring meeting.
Watch how designer Idun Aune started her climate group in this video or read about her reflections in this article.
2
Start a Climate channel on your communication platform.
Low Effort // For Culture Change
Once you have your group together, open it up for more people to speak up to share ideas and support each other in making climate-friendly choices at work or school.
Watch how sustainability leader Hanne Wetland formed a climate-centric communications strategy in this video or read about her advice on taking climate action in this article.
3
Start a "Veggie Curious" channel on your communication platform
Low Effort // For Culture Change
Eating plant-based is one of the activities with the highest impact. But as we all know, it can feel overwhelming to switch diets drastically. Finding new comfort foods, recipes, and restaurants can feel like a giant task. And yet, we are all seeing how important it is for everyone to eat less meat and dairy for the health of our planet.
Just by starting a channel called "Veggie Curious" on your communication platform (Slack or Teams, etc) you can start a chain reaction of tips and recommendations that inspire people. You might even be surprised at how many people are veggie curious. And the number of people interacting in this channel can ultimately help persuade the canteen to serve more vegetarian food.
And don't worry if the channel feels like a personal blog, with only you posting. People are seeing the posts even if it doesn't seem like it. Over time, the culture will change.
4
Start a "Bike Nerd" channel on your communication platform
Low Effort // For Culture Change
Like the other channels mentioned, these are fun areas that can get people sharing climate friendly activities with each other. They create a nice atmosphere and are good advertising on the concept. With a biking channel, if the leadership sees that many people are interested in cycling, it can lead to better secure bike parking, which will in turn encourage more people cycling to work.
See why it’s so important that more people use bicycles over cars in this video.
5
Divest of all polluters in your pension/retirement accounts. And tell your HR department that you only want ESG certified choices.
Low Effort // For Better Operations
Many of us might be inadvertently supporting and investing in oil companies and other polluters through our retirement account investments. If you are able, go into your accounts and make sure that you are only investing in ESG (Environmental and Social Governance) businesses. If all of us cleared out our investment accounts, it would have the potential to make a big impact by choking the prospects of polluting businesses.
And with your HR department knowing that this matters to you, they will include this feature into the decisions and packages they order in the future.
6
Gather tips and suggestions for pro-climate operations and brainstorm with those in charge of those areas.
Medium Effort // For Better Operations
Find the person responsible for how certain operational things are done and set up a meeting where you can brainstorm together and make recommendations. For instance, if you make it harder for people to throw away trash by not putting a can at every desk and instead have them at only one location on the floor, you can reduce the amount of trash people throw away. You can make takeaway cups harder to reach, out of sight or inconvenient. You can ask for more plant-based food in the cafeteria. Ask for official policies on traveling less by plane. Or make it very easy to bike to work with better secure bike parking. Or help make sure that company websites are hosted by providers powered by clean energy.
Rather than send a big list of requests to management, locate and have a chat with the person responsible for each area. By including them and brainstorming with them, they will feel less threatened and more excited about implementing the ideas.
7
Look into and propose any business opportunities that might arise out of the green transition.
High Effort // For Business Transformation
There's a ton of opportunity and so much work for all organisations in the green transition. Maybe your school could offer the first student-led climate curriculum. Maybe your university can encourage a climate component to all degrees. Maybe your business can move into new lucrative climate-friendly markets.
Partner up with business development or pull your ideas together into a presentation and pitch it directly to your leaders. We've seen organisations adopt many ideas right away, even setting up new teams and getting serious about the opportunity. And when climate friendliness is part of the business model, it naturally leads to climate friendly operational changes as well.
8
Gather your climate group together and host events.
Medium Effort // For Culture Change
Host a climate kickoff event where you announce yourselves, your intentions and get people working together on solutions.
Hold a mending party where people bring in broken or damaged items and clothing and help each other fix them.
Host a "Free Party" where people bring in unwanted things and everyone can shop from each other.
Host a Digital Cleaning event where people delete and "clean out" their emails and redundant files stored on their computers, unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters and share tips for managing it easier.
Hold a talk by a local climate activist or a Hive ambassador.
Hosting an event keeps your group working together towards goals and brings you closer together. Be sure to include food and treats and make it a party.
9
Set up an office or classroom reuse station
Medium Effort // For Culture Change
The unfortunate fact is that many items given to thrift stores (from clothing to goods and furniture) often end up in the landfill. But when you know the person who is giving an item away, there is a greater feeling of trust with the item.
Take over an unused room and gather together people's unwanted items. Sell them or give them away for free. Announce it on your climate channel. Give it some rules and make it self-running.
10
Pilot ideas for making your own work/job/role more climate friendly. Blog the process.
High Effort // For Business Transformation
Actively look for areas where you can innovate your own work. Maybe there is a process that can be improved from a climate perspective. Test out ideas and then write about it and share with your network. You might inspire others to take your work and adapt it or build upon it.
See an example here.
11
Make big life decisions that set you up to easily live climate-friendly.
Medium Effort // For Global Culture Change
It's a lot harder to change something established than it is to start from scratch. So when you are selecting the job you will take, make its proximity to your home a priority. Or the inverse, choose a home that is closer to your job. This will allow you to get by without needing to get a car and will shrink your carbon footprint. Added bonus, you might find that you really love your cycling, walking or public transport commutes.
You have choices, so by prioritising taking a job that doesn't require you to travel excessively or get there by car sets you up beautifully to have a future with low climate impact.
See a testimonial of what it’s like to make an electric bicycle the primary form of transportation in this video.
12
Start a business that accelerates the green shift.
High Effort // For Global Culture Change
There’s immense potential for both change and profit in the green shift. When you find yourself ready to start something new, why not focus your energy on solving a challenge related to the climate crisis? It could become the ultimate way to drive change.