Climate Action 101 for organizations | Environmental Business
Rochester Business Journal by Abigail McHugh-Grifa
October 12, 2023
Efforts to address climate change come in all shapes and sizes, all of which are commendable. That said, climate action at the organizational level has a special place in my heart, because organizations can do a lot of good and do it quickly, especially when their leaders decide to make it a priority.
Local organizations that have already made considerable progress on this front include HARBEC, RIT, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, SWBR, Rochester Regional Health, and many others. These organizations have (1) done the legwork to understand their impact on the environment, (2) committed to boldly addressing that impact, and (3) dedicated significant resources to ensure that they can successfully follow through on their commitments. Though they can and do make the financial case for their environmental stewardship efforts, their motivation seemingly goes beyond that, because instead of just “doing what pays,” “doing their fair share,” or “doing no harm” (as described by Kate Raworth in her book Doughnut Economics), they are leveraging the power of their institutions to proactively “do good.” Nevertheless, I’m sure they enjoy the financial benefits and positive public perception, too.
For leaders of organizations that haven’t yet begun to address their climate impact, the idea of adding this to your to-do list probably sounds exhausting, overwhelming, unrealistic, and/or expensive. As an overstretched executive, I can totally sympathize with that, which is why I’m going to focus the rest of this column on easy and free-to-inexpensive actions that organizations can take right away to jumpstart their environmental stewardship journeys.
Let’s begin with a few that require practically no effort and will immediately save you money:
Stop giving people stuff with your logo on it that they probably don’t need or want. Though swag can be useful, helpful, thoughtful, etc., most of the time it’s junk, and as people become increasingly aware of our collective problem with waste, it’s probably not a great idea to have your brand associated with something that is destined to end up in the trash.
Assuming the temperature in your office is already within the realm of normal, adjust the thermostat so it’s 2-3 degrees cooler in the winter and 2-3 degrees warmer in the summer, and then be flexible with your dress code so people can add and remove layers as needed to keep themselves comfortable. This can save a surprising amount of energy.
If you have control over any greenspace outside of your office, make sure that whoever maintains it is not using chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Yes, weeds will grow, but that’s a sign of a healthy ecosystem, so you can/should be proud of those weeds. In fact, you could even let sections of your lawn go wild, perhaps mowing them down just once per year or even never, which will provide habitat for critters and eliminate noise pollution, carbon pollution, and the expense of maintaining an unnaturally tidy landscape.
If you ever have the opportunity to serve food for a group of people, please prioritize plant-based options and completely avoid beef, lamb and probably seafood. This may require finding a new caterer, because some catering companies seem to think that vegetarians/vegans eat nothing but salad and bland tofu, while a good caterer can provide delicious plant-based delicacies that will thrill everyone at your event.
If you’re ready to invest a bit more time, energy and money, here are some additional early steps to consider:
Get an energy assessment/audit for your facilities. NYSERDA has a few different cost-share programs for different types of businesses that can help you identify your best energy- and cost-saving options. You can also get information and connect with an energy advisor (for free) via the AMPED campaign, who will guide you through the process of getting an energy audit.
If you haven’t already replaced your old light bulbs with LEDs, your energy auditor will almost certainly recommend it, so you might as well take care of that proactively.
If possible, give employees the freedom to work from home, at least some of the time, which will eliminate the carbon emissions associated with their daily commutes.
Purchase 100% renewable electricity. There’s more than one way to do that, which you can learn all about in the EPA’s Guide to Purchasing Green Power.
Start having internal conversations about your organization’s climate impacts, vulnerabilities and opportunities. You may find out that you have people who are eager to take responsibility for making your workplace more eco-friendly, which could lead to the formation of an internal “Green Team.”
To get those conversations going, schedule some lunch-and-learn sessions with your colleagues to watch and discuss the three-part mini-documentary series “The Week” together. It’s an excellent introduction to the climate crisis (and plastic pollution and biodiversity loss) that (1) completely avoids politics and shame/blame, (2) is very easy to organize, and (3) is designed to be experienced with a group. They have a special version for businesses that is available for a small fee at ooo.
If you’d like to pursue more high-impact actions, or if you want more support and structure to help you figure out what actions to take, there are almost certainly resources available that can meet your needs. To find them, you might start with an internet search for the name of your sector plus the word “sustainable” or “regenerative.” Some sectors have very distinct challenges when it comes to environmental stewardship, so connecting with and learning from your sector-specific peers is often a good idea.
To plug into local resources and meet other people who are doing this kind of work in our region, you might attend an upcoming “Green Drinks” event, participate in our second “Color Your Organization Green” cohort (to develop an internal climate action plan), or join the group of leaders who are designing a new program (similar to Western NY’s Sustainable Business Roundtable) that will help local organizations become responsible stewards of the natural world. If any of these options sound appealing to you, just shoot me an email and I’ll gladly provide details and connections.
Similar to the racial justice reckoning of 2020, I believe we’re approaching the point where organizations that aren’t taking bold and proactive steps to address their environmental impact will get a lot of pushback from customers, employees, and other stakeholders (for good reason). To avoid being in that position, now’s the time to figure out what environmental stewardship looks like for your organization. Though it probably makes sense to start with easy, cheap, quick wins, please don’t stop there. Organizations can and should be a force for good in the world. Of course, that requires intentionality and investment, but because organizations typically have larger carbon footprints than households and can create positive ripple effects, via their interactions with other entities and individuals, they are an ideal place to do what’s right for both the planet and the people who live on it.