Please note that this page contains information and links most relevant for people living in England.
Whether your employees are working remotely or in an office, there are several things you can do to make sure they’re on board with energy efficiency and sustainability.
Reminding them to turn off lights or unplug their computer when they finish may seem like small steps, but when everyone does it, these things have a way of adding up. Now let’s talk about how to get people on board with taking part and sharing your company’s sustainability goals.
Sustainability group
You no doubt have talented individuals within your organisation, so why not utilise them to drive behaviour change within your company? Colleagues listen to each other’s opinion, but they may not pay attention to every internal newsletter or the latest sustainability objectives. To drive home energy efficiency tips, ways to reduce waste or information on low carbon travel, ask some of your enthusiastic employees to help:
motivate staff to be more sustainable and energy efficient
make your company attractive to customers with sustainability credentials
ensure that company sustainability KPIs are met
Sustainability spotlight meetings are a great way to get staff members involved. It’s also a way for your employees to share tips and personal anecdotes with each other. You may be surprised by the new and innovative suggestions your team will come up with if asked.
Need help training a sustainability group or energy champion?
Consider bringing in experts to lead sustainability workshops or creating tailored training materials. This could be a presentation that provides an insight into the benefits of saving energy for your company, employees and the country, which includes:
a brief introduction to net zero
your company’s sustainability targets
sustainable working practices
tips to reduce your personal carbon footprint
your brand perception for ethical consumers
You should also make sure you include a quiz or test to ensure the knowledge is absorbed, and consider running a refresher session on an annual basis.
To really drive home that engagement, you can also create a variety of energy saving resources and materials that include easily digestible information and benefits of saving energy. Posters, FAQs, leaflets, emails and blogs can all help with this.
Need help crafting a sustainability campaign for your staff or customers?
Getting people to curb bad habits can take time, but the benefits of being more sustainable and energy efficient can cut costs and carbon emissions (which is good for the planet) at work and at home (which has become one and the same during Covid-19.)
Suggestions could include:
Themed campaigns that align with national causes such as:
Team bonding sustainability activities such as litter picking on beaches, parks, canals, or active travel exercise such as a bicycle or running group, can be fun ways for employees to get to know each other and get fitter (make sure to abide by Covid-19 measures and national/local lockdown rules)
Involvement in community energy projects that will help get us closer to net zero could be a great thing to mention to your customers.
Need some pointers creating a bespoke sustainable behaviour change strategy?
