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At a glance
- Make employees part of your sustainability strategy from the start through workshops, discussions and feedback sessions to build buy-in and support long-term behaviour change.
- Give staff ownership of sustainability by creating sustainability groups, energy champions or spotlight sessions that encourage employees to share ideas and drive action.
- Invest in sustainability and energy efficiency training to build skills, improve engagement and help embed sustainable practices across the organisation.
With 35% of SMEs stating that carbon reduction is a priority, sustainability is no longer a ‘nice to have’.
But did you know that engaging employees in your organisation’s sustainability strategy is a key factor in making it a success? By bringing your team on the journey and giving them the resources to learn more, you empower them to take action to support your goals.
Whether your employees are working remotely or in an office, there are several things you can do to make sure they’re on board. Here, we share the most effective steps to engage your team with sustainability and energy efficiency.
Main ways to engage employees with sustainability
Involve staff in your strategy
To make your sustainability strategy a success, you need buy-in from every member of staff. One of the best ways to do this is to make staff feel included in your plans.
Consider running a series of meetings or workshops to introduce your strategy to your team. Ask staff to share their views and raise any concerns. This will highlight any areas where staff need more support to engage with your strategy.
By taking their comments on board, you also shape the strategy in a way that works for all staff.
Set up a sustainability group
UK workers are increasingly focused on sustainability and expect their employers to do more. Why not empower your employees to drive change in your organisation by setting up a sustainability group or team of energy champions?
A sustainability group is responsible for:
- promoting sustainable workplace practices
- developing ideas to save energy and reduce waste
- motivating staff to act more sustainably
Sustainability spotlight meetings are another way to get staff members involved. The sessions focus on a particular topic, such as recycling, with the opportunity for employees to share their tips and personal anecdotes. You may be surprised by the innovative suggestions your team comes up with.
Invest in training
Upskill your team with dedicated energy efficiency and sustainability training. By increasing your employees’ understanding of these topics, you support behaviour change and embed sustainability into your business operations.
Training staff on sustainability brings wider benefits to your business. It helps your employees save energy at work and home, increases staff morale, and gives your business a competitive edge.
Run a sustainability induction for staff
A dedicated induction helps to promote a sustainable work culture and encourages staff to adopt sustainable behaviours. Run an induction with new starters during onboarding and as part of your annual training for all staff.
A sustainability induction can include:
- A presentation about the benefits of saving energy for your company and employees, and your role in helping the UK reach net zero.
- An introduction to key staff members responsible for driving your net zero strategy and a representative from your sustainability group.
- Interactive elements or group discussions to keep the session engaging.
- A quiz at the end to test attendees’ knowledge.
If you’re looking to create a sustainability onboarding module as part of your mandatory training, why not use our e-learning platform and courses?
The courses cover key topics including:
- saving energy at home
- energy saving at work
- sustainability and net zero
This gets your employees to a baseline level of knowledge. From there, you can guide them to your net zero strategy.
Hear from expert speakers
Hosting workshops with expert speakers engages staff and demonstrates your organisation’s commitment to its sustainability goals.
Consider running regular ‘lunch and learn’ sessions with a guest speaker on a sustainability topic. This can be an external speaker, for example someone from a climate-focused organisation. Alternatively, you may find there’s someone in your team who can share their expertise.
Share resources
Remind staff to save energy in the workplace by sharing resources and materials with easily digestible information.
Some ideas include:
- Putting up posters around the office with tips on saving energy at work and home.
- Placing stickers with reminders on equipment – for example to switch off appliances at the wall when not in use.
- Creating an office walkaround checklist to review how well your energy saving measures are working.
Check out our free resources to help you communicate and engage with your employees on sustainable behaviours at home and at work.
Take part in awareness days
Marking environmental awareness days is a great way to bring employees together and reiterate your sustainability agenda.
Where possible, link these days to initiatives from your sustainability strategy. For example, if you have an objective to reduce emissions from transport, promote Bike Week to encourage staff to commute by bike instead of car.
Examples of awareness days include:
Organise sustainability-themed team activities
Team bonding activities are a fun way for employees to get to know each other. By making these sustainability-themed, you empower your staff to take practical action to improve their local environment and strengthen your sustainability credentials.
Some ideas include:
- Litter picking on local beaches, parks and canals.
- Promoting active travel through a cycling or running group.
- Volunteering for environmental causes.
Start your workplace sustainability journey today
Looking for support to develop your sustainability strategy, engage employees with training or resources, or evaluate your business’ sustainable actions? We’re here to help.
Speak to us to find out what we can do for you.
Further reading
10 reasons why employee engagement can benefit your business
There are many benefits of engaging employees with sustainability. From cutting carbon emissions and meeting regulations, to increasing productivity.
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