Professional development, something highly sought after by millennials and Gen Zers, is also a good tool to launch your in-house sustainability program. Your teams will start talking, brainstorming and learning about the everyday items we use and how they can affect biodiversity.
Working together as a group in a local office or other commercial settings can help set the stage for learning about how the built environment, the locations where our food and products are derived from and how these tie in together with the natural world’s health, which is vital to not just the survival of us a species but also keeping costs within a reasonable level.
Survival is of course part of the natural world, but our economic systems could become too strained in the future to keep business sustainable (in the economic sense). This non-natural world piece is vital to our survival as a global village as well. If your teams take the time to learn about how to better prevent this through action now, we will all be better off using this theory as our ground.
In addition to staying sustainable (multitude of meanings here), your teams and businesses can also thrive in the present. Opening up conversations with staff could lead to innovations in biodiversity protection. Just by opening up conversations, the educational barriers start to fade away. This can lead to all types of thoughts on how to bridge our lives into protecting local ecosystems. If innovations are discovered, your company could become the pioneer and be a point of reference for other entities.
All that said, a green education initiative is no easy feat, especially when there is such a vast amount of information on the internet and a potential lack of internal knowledge. To bridge this gap, companies or organizations should consider a consultancy or partner with a local (possibly national) nonprofit group. Many times just reaching out will allow for a connection point within your community.
What are the benefits of creating a green education initiative at my company?
- Professional development related to sustainability can lead to new innovations.
- Brand health could be positively affected over time as sustainable topics are learned and practices implemented.
- Technical knowledge within a company can be an advantage over other firms.
- Employees may become more engaged and higher retention and productivity can occur in that environment.
How do I get my green education program going in my company?
- Professional development with internal or external resources such as an agency or nonprofit organization.
- Tuition reimbursement programs for employees to gain skillsets to share with your team.
- Take note of your internal resources that align with such an initiative.
- Consider seeking grants for training your team.