International HR Day 2022: HR and Climate Change

International HR Day 2022 falls on Friday 20th May, this year’s theme is: ‘HR Shaping the New Future’. 2021’s theme focused on recognising HR’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, and the overnight call up to such a pivotal role that people professionals had played throughout. It celebrated HR’s focus on putting people’s welfare centre stage in decision-making during exceptionally challenging times. In 2020, we all faced a significant crisis and continued to operate under severe pressure for the best part of two years. However, this year’s focus being on the future is a welcome reminder of how far we have come, and a welcome view to what is ahead.

As we move out of the pandemic, we cannot ignore the other crisis that continues to pose a serious threat. The UN’s Secretary-General António Guterres recently stated,

‘The climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win…It is clear that business as usual is not good enough. As the infinite cost of climate change reaches irreversible highs, now is the time for bold collective action’.

As we re-focus, for many leaders the ‘Green Agenda’ and sustainability are high on the priority list. 

Famously, in 2018 Larry Fink, Chairman, and CEO of BlackRock wrote to CEOs stating: 

Companies must ask themselves: What role do we play in the community? How are we managing our impact on the environment? 

Ed Houghton of CIPD described this as a firm call to action to CEOs, for leadership and a renewed focus on the ‘right’ kind of value creation. 

Why does it matter for HR?

We know that a Green agenda requires a collective commitment to change in our organisations – and we have seen, especially in the past two years, the crucial role that HR will need to play in this. Our HR and Organisation Development professionals are expected to be key drivers for behavioural and cultural change in organisations, in moving to a mindset of sustainability. Sustainable HRM is viewed in academia as an extension of strategic HRM – ‘a new approach to people management, with the focus on long-term human resource development, regeneration and renewal’. 

According to Fink’s argument, this shift in organisational focus is required to satisfy our shareholders. But research has shown that this directly impacts our employees – according to a 2019 survey, millennials and Gen Z job seekers would be willing to take a reduction in pay of up to £11,400 to work for an eco-aware company. Post pandemic, when recruitment is extremely challenging, according to this data, the companies who are demonstrably environmentally aware will attract the most talent. With climate-conscious workers set to make up a significant part of the workforce with the entry of Gen Z.

What can we do?

The purpose of Green HR is to focus on creating a HR function that supports and is in line with, an organisation’s sustainability strategy.

Supporting the strategy

• Facilitate employee learning – host sustainability awareness sessions.
• Develop ‘green leaders’ or ‘green teams’ to be your change champions and own and drive progress.
• Support managers to review procedures and eliminate unnecessary waste – commit to being paperless, encourage staff to limit energy use by powering down unneeded equipment and focus on water saving, and re-focus on recycling.
• Incorporate a Green suggestion scheme, so that any employee may influence and engage with the sustainability strategy.
• Consider a charity partner that supports sustainable environmental practices.
• Work with Executive Teams to set sustainability quotas and reporting to demonstrate accountability and commitment to your teams.
• Build green initiatives into your wellbeing strategies – incentivise cycle to work schemes or use of public transport, and provide paid days leave for environmental voluntary work.
• Spotlight sustainable and green initiatives in your employees’ communications and review them and share environmental performance progress regularly.

 Overall, we know that HR is a conduit for change in organisations, and the Green Agenda will be key to shaping our collective new future. On behalf of Think People Consulting, Happy International HR Day to all of our colleagues – we’re looking forward to the future.