Day 28: Take your action to work day
Today’s action: Multiplying your impact by working within your institution
Today’s action is to think about whether there is something you’ve done this month that you could bring to your workplace (or school, community group, religious community, or other network that you’re affiliated with).
Take a few minutes to brainstorm and make a plan. Your plan can be as low-key as raising an idea in a relevant meeting or requesting a sustainability committee. If you’re feeling inspired to start a bigger campaign, we can help! Check out our resources in the “looking for more” section below.
If you want some brainstorming prompts, here are some ideas based on this month’s actions:
Related to the office/physical building
Could your office/school/institution compost?
Could the cafeteria take steps to reduce food waste? Could it offer more meatless options and encourage lower-carbon food choices?
Could your office/school/building take energy savings steps (and could it go bigger and get Energy Star Building certification)?
Could your office/school/building use green energy? (If you work for a big box chain, maybe you could suggest rooftop solar on all buildings?)
Related to commuting and work travel
Could your employer support policies that encourage less or smarter driving?
If your work involves frequent travel or conferences, can you make the case for flying less and swapping in more telepresence?
Related to work focus
This list isn’t exhaustive, but here are additional ideas linked to our daily actions. Since these ideas are more central to your employer’s core business, you might want to float one with other co-workers first, and then find a way to raise the idea more strategically. We know that any request to your employer can be intimidating, but there is strength in numbers! You can also check out Project Drawdown’s guidance on raising climate solutions at work.
If you work for a …
media outlet, could you suggest ways to enhance climate coverage? Could you ask them to reject fossil fuel ads?
social media company, can you ask them to ban fossil fuel ads and climate denial?
PR/advertising firm, could you ask your agency to stop working with fossil fuel clients and take the Clean Creatives pledge?
bank, can you suggest a stronger stance on fossil fuel lending, including policies to restrict financing fossil fuel expansion?
insurance company, can you push for a moratorium on underwriting fossil fuel projects?
law firm, can you ask your firm to stop taking new fossil fuel industry work and phase out ongoing work for fossil fuel clients?
financial advisory firm, can you support your clients in investing in fossil free funds?
brand/company that makes and sells stuff, can you push for the company to set a target to become zero-waste, including moving to a circular model that integrates recycled materials?
retailer, can you push for elimination of single-use plastic and policies that reduce transport emissions?
restaurant or in the food industry, can you support lower-carbon food options, reduced food waste, regenerative agriculture, composting, and zero-waste packaging?
fossil fuel company, can you push for a much more rapid transition away from fossil fuels and a concrete plan to lower “scope 3” emissions from fuels and products sold to consumers?
Related to the institution’s retirement plans, investments, and influence
Would your employer make fossil-fuel-free funds the default for its retirement plans?
Would your employer/school/institution divest from fossil fuels, and take the DivestInvest pledge?
Would your employer/institution endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty?
Would your employer/institution use its political influence to push for bold climate legislation?
You can do this, even if you don’t have “sustainability” in your job title! As Project Drawdown says, “Every job can be a climate job.” Yes!
Why this action? Remember when a politician said “Corporations are people, my friend,” and we all did a doubletake? They’re obviously not people (well, except maybe that Subway corpo-humanoid in the show Community), but it IS true that companies, academic institutions, schools, government agencies, and organizations are staffed and run by people. And even more than that, they depend on people, such as clients, students, and customers. That gives us a fantastic opportunity to multiply our impact by pushing for climate actions on a wider scale, within the networks and institutions we’re already linked to.
Looking for more? Read on for more info and actions related to pushing for climate solutions at work and in schools. (And if you happen to be looking for a new job, we’ve got some resources for finding climate jobs!)
Learn and reflect:
Project Drawdown’s Climate Solutions at Work is a “how-to guide for employees looking to make every job a climate job.” Get your free copy for creative ways to push your company to be a climate leader, regardless of your specific role in the organization.
Check out the “Take Employee Action” Guide for more specific guidance on bringing climate solutions to work, including how to be a voice for the climate and how to team up with other employees for climate action.
Flip through this slidedeck on climate leadership for employees, with specific suggestions on what people in various roles within a company can do. Work in Human Resources? IT? Facility management? They’ve got you covered!
Want to bring climate solutions to a school (anywhere from early education to high school)? Check out the Eco-Schools program, which offers a Seven Step Framework for student-led positive change. (If you’d rather learn about the seven steps from an animated anteater, here’s the video for you!)
If you’re a high school student or know one who might be interested, the Color Your School Green Toolkit was “designed by students, for students to help high school environmental clubs have a greater impact on their school, district, and community.”
Act:
Is there already a “green team” at your workplace or institution? If you’re feeling inspired, maybe you’d like to join it! If there’s not, but you’d like one, then check out this guidance on “How to develop a Green Team in your company” – and go get ‘em!
You don’t have to quit your day job!! But if you are looking for a new climate-focused job, then Climatebase is a good first stop, with job listings from climate tech companies and environmental non-profits. You can also check out Work on Climate, an online community that helps people find a way to, well, work on climate.
(Hat tip to Anne-Marie Bonneau for some of the specific work-related resources in this “looking for more” section.)
