Engaged employees are asking their leaders to take climate action
Employees with strong environmental awareness can play a pivotal role in accelerating corporate sustainability plans, yet Deloitte survey data shows that leaders could be doing more to engage their full workforce around the need for action.
Jennifer Steinmann
Kathryn Alsegaf
Derek Pankratz
David R. Novak
Nirmal Kujur
Addressing climate change will require both system-level changes and billions of individual ones: from how we get around, to what we eat, and how we do our jobs. Deloitte’s researchers have been tracking the world’s emerging eco-consciousness across generations, at the leadership levels of companies, among employees, and in society. A look across the landscape of these survey results shows that those with high climate awareness are ready to act in more sustainable ways at work, and they have been making their voices heard. Leaders are starting to heed the call for change, but are they doing enough to get everyone involved?
The call for climate and sustainability action is coming from employees of all ages
Among employed adults surveyed by Deloitte Consumer Center in March 2023 for its global State of the Consumer survey, 69% said they want their companies to invest in sustainability efforts, including reducing carbon, using renewable energy, and reducing waste.1 This sentiment is higher among surveyed employees between the ages of 18 and 34 years old, who showed a stronger interest in sustainability initiatives than respondents from older generations.
This desire for sustainable action among about a quarter of the workforce is starting to evaluate potential job opportunities, too. Among respondents to Deloitte’s ConsumerSignals survey, 27% said they will consider a potential employer’s position on sustainability before accepting a job.2 This data indicates that at least one in four job seekers investigates what potential employers are doing—or not doing—to address environmental impacts, and may be willing to make decisions accordingly.
Young people, in particular, tend to believe they can be a powerful force for change at work. According to Deloitte’s latest Gen Z and Millennial survey, which surveyed a globally-representative sample of more than 14,000 Gen Zs and 8,000 millennials (adults been the ages of 18-40) from 44 countries, 64% of respondents believe in the power they have to drive organizational change, and that their organizations are listening and incorporating feedback.3 This means that as young employees are entering the workforce, many not only have a strong environmental awareness but also an expectation that their employers will be responsive to their input.
Inaction on climate and sustainability is also affecting job satisfaction
These shifts in employee expectations could have a downside for companies that aren’t taking sustainability into account. Among respondents to Deloitte’s ConsumerSignals survey, about a quarter have considered switching jobs to work for a more sustainable company.
Leaders recognize employees are among the most important stakeholders
According to a Deloitte survey of more than 2,000 C-suite leaders, employee morale and well-being and employee recruitment and retention are among the greatest benefits of their sustainability efforts so far. This reinforces the findings from the ConsumerSignals research on the importance of sustainability to employee satisfaction and retention.
Employee activism is starting to influence corporate sustainability efforts
This demand for action seems to be having an effect. Among Deloitte survey respondents, employee activism is a significant driver of corporate action on sustainability, with 80% of C-suite leaders reporting that their employees have already impacted their sustainability plans, or soon will.4
In fact, 59% of all leaders surveyed said “employee activism” caused them to increase their sustainability efforts over the past year, with 24% describing the impact as “significant.”
One step many companies are taking is investing in training: 50% of the leaders surveyed by Deloitte said they are already educating employees about sustainability and climate change, and another 41% plan to launch such a program within the next two years.
Yet employees say they are still not seeing “enough” climate action in the workplace
While sustainability plans are gaining steam, only 38% of those surveyed by Deloitte agree that their employer “is doing enough to address climate change and sustainability.” Most respondents are either neutral or are dissatisfied with the efforts they’ve seen so far.
Leaders are not having regular conversations with employees about sustainability
There may also be room for organizations to open a dialogue with their employees about climate change, and the company’s response to it. According to Deloitte’s ConsumerSignals survey, 45% of employees have never talked with their managers or supervisors about sustainable practices at work.
Employers have an opportunity to bolster satisfaction and accelerate impact by engaging workers on climate and sustainability issues
Business leaders should not take their environmentally aware workers for granted. They can lend their skills and knowledge to tackle climate-related business problems, flag potential issues for leadership, and help catalyze deep organizational change.
To better appeal to them, organizations can communicate frequently about their commitment to climate action, make tangible, material changes to the company’s operations, and invest in learning and development that empowers employees to contribute. Companies should make workers active participants in their climate and sustainability programs and provide them with opportunities to share feedback via dialogues and forums that can lead to change. While some employee-driven initiatives—eliminating single-use plastics or increasing recycling, for example—may not drive the greatest impact on emissions, being responsive to these suggestions can create visible reminders of the company’s commitment to sustainability.
And as the climate continues to change, employees and customers are looking to see that business is stepping up to the challenge.