How do you engage employees in ESG ahead of World Environment Day?
As World Environment Day nears, workers believe that their employers are not doing enough to help fight climate change, according to a recent report.
More than half (59%) of Canadian professionals think sustainability should be a top workplace priority.
And while 59% of companies say sustainability and climate considerations are a priority, 71% of workers think their organization doesn’t have progressive climate goals, reports Robert Walters.
Only 18% of workers believe their workplace is very sustainable. Six in 10 (60%) state their workplace is only marginally sustainable and over one in five don’t think their workplace is at all sustainable.
“All members of the business community have an obligation to help reverse the dial on climate change – recent research found that Canadians throw away more than four million tons of plastic every year, and less than one-tenth of it is actually recycled,” says Megan Gallagher, senior HR & legal recruiter for Robert Walters Canada.
“These figures demonstrate that we have a long way to go in achieving sustainable practices in the workplace.”
Mounting pressures around environmental, social, and governance (ESG) requirement compliance could be increasing the risk of ESG fraud, according to a previous KPMG report.
World Environment Day 2024
The time to act on all things ESG is now, as 43% of professionals feel that sustainability and climate considerations have become more of a priority for them – 34% higher than employers, reports Robert Walters.
World Environment Day 2024 provides an opportunity for employers to act. This year’s theme is #GenerationRestoration.
“We cannot turn back time, but we can grow forests, revive water sources, and bring back soils. We are the generation that can make peace with land,” according to the World Environment Day website.
What can employers do? Workers are interested in:
- tree planting and reforestation projects (36%)
- community clean-up events (32%)
- sustainable commuting and office recycling programs (32%).
“Plastic and physical waste is just the tip of the iceberg – there is also energy usage (lights, laptops, printers and other tech) and heating costs to the Co2 production of long commutes and company travel abroad,” says Gallagher.
“Not only does office waste and energy usage carry huge environmental burden, but also a financial one that can have an enormous impact on a company’s bottom line.”
More than half of the waste in Canadian landfills comes from non-residential sources such as office spaces, according to Statistics Canada (StatCan).
The Robert Walters survey had 1,200 professional respondents, and took place in May 2024.
Candidates want to “join companies they’re proud to work for,” according to a previous report.
How do you engage employees in ESG?
Here’s how companies can be more sustainable, according to Gallagher:
- Hire an external provider to conduct a workplace waste audit.
- Assign ESG-related roles in your organization.
- Partner with an ESG consultancy.
- Offer sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics.
- Introduce collective sustainability incentives to workers.
It’s also important to make sure environmental stewardship is part of the company culture, according to ESG Research Pro.
“Companies that integrate environmental stewardship into their culture protect the environment and instil a sense of shared purpose among employees. A culture that values the environment can manifest in various practices, such as sustainable resource usage and waste reduction initiatives. Employees become active contributors to the company’s environmental goals, often enhancing job satisfaction and engagement.”
In late 2023, the Canadian Purpose Economy Project (CPEP) launched its A Call to Purpose campaign, which calls on business leaders to be part of the movement toward a purpose-first economy in Canada.
