Engaging our employees in the race to net zero

Through the pandemic, the world has demonstrated that when we need to take collective action, we can act decisively and quickly with positive outcomes. Global carbon emissions are forecast to fall by 8% in 2020 . However, a report published in September by the United Nations has shown that greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are at record highs and increasing, meaning that the planet is heading towards its warmest five years on record.

The dip in emissions earlier in the year is indicative of the impact that “normal” fast-moving industry and society has at a global scale. Under “normal” circumstances, these numbers would never have been expected, but they do emphasise the scale of the task at hand. To meet IPCC recommendations, we must continue to reduce emissions by 8% year-on-year for the next decade, showing the desperate need for systemic change. We must determine how we can replicate this urgency and commitment to co-design a more environmentally sound and thriving world.

At Capgemini’s Accelerated Solutions Environment (ASE) we believe that a sustainable and positive future is within reach, but urgent and bold action is needed to make it happen. We think we have a key role to play in achieving net zero for our organisation and our clients. We are seeking to amplify the power of business to make a difference in the world through enabling responsible business decisions and accelerating sustainable change. We’re passionate about working collaboratively with organisations and their people, to help them meet their needs and those of the planet.

Based on our experience in driving collaboration and building momentum with large groups of people, there are three core principles we believe organisations need to get right to effectively engage their employees in the race to net zero.

Educate employees on what it means to take meaningful climate action

To achieve a bold ambition, employees need to understand what it means so they can be clear on how they will be able to contribute to it. It’s critical that we think about driving change in a systemic way, recognising that our human health is linked to our planetary health. Engaging employees with a systems-thinking approach helps them develop a mindset to see connections and how everything has a consequence. Running interactive sessions is a great way to present an ambition, bust sustainability jargon, provide an opportunity for employees to delve into the detail and to work out the role they can play in taking action. Bringing in sustainability experts can also help shed light on broader issues and paint a bigger picture of the problems we are trying to tackle. Creating a practical toolkit is a useful way to demonstrate how sustainability can be brought into daily work so that employees are empowered to take action immediately, and can be an output built during one of our collaboration workshops.

Build the right environment to co-create a long-term vision

Having an emotional connection to what the world could look like for us and future generations if we act now versus if we don’t, is an impactful way to accelerate change. When we have a clear vision of what we want to achieve we feel motivated and excited to make it happen, which in turn shapes the way we think and act. Build the right environment so that your employees can co-create a vision of what they want the future to look like, so they are engaged in the journey from the start. Using visuals can be a powerful way to bring a vision to life and tell the story of what you’ll achieve.

Set clear actions to make progress in the present

Once employees have built a vision they want to reach and understand why achieving it is so important, the final step is to engage them to take action. Break down your vision into key milestones then explore each in more detail with your employees. Ask people who are passionate about a specific area to take ownership in driving it forward. Creating a clear set of immediate actions together will help to keep momentum going and bring greater accountability when working towards the vision as an organisation. Collaborating with employees to agree actions will enable organisations to start making practical changes at pace.

As specialists in collaboration, enabling fast decision-making and accelerating change, the Accelerated Solutions Environment is well positioned to support organisations in their quest for improved sustainability and reaching net zero. Ultimately, an organisation’s biggest asset, their people, will be responsible for change overall. We believe we can enable and empower your people to take on the challenge.

Author

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Grace Fogarty

ASE Co-Facilitator

Grace is a Co-Facilitator for the ASE, and has a background in learning and development and event management. She is passionate about designing fun, creative and engaging experiences to help people work more effectively.