Your team is resistant to reducing carbon footprints. How can you convince them of its importance?

Very true. It's also the first step in aligning your team around goals. As a team working towards a specific goal to reduce your carbon footprint (ex. No more printing in the office), the team contributes to a greater goal. This allows you to build a sustainability program, record metrics, set targets and motivate your team!

-Highlight the direct impact on climate change & its global consequences, emphasizing the moral responsibility to act -Present the health benefits & potential for improved air quality that come with reduced emissions, which can lead to fewer health-related issues and economic savings -Discuss the effectiveness of simple lifestyle changes, such as reducing car usage, that can significantly lower individual carbon footprints. -Encourage the adoption of renewable energy sources & energy-efficient practices, which not only reduce carbon footprints but can also result in long-term financial savings -Use success stories and case studies of organizations and communities that have successfully reduced their carbon footprints.

I start by raising awareness about the importance of reducing carbon footprints. I provide clear information on how carbon emissions impact the environment and present the benefits of making changes. By highlighting the positive effects on both the planet and our organization, I help the team understand why it's crucial and motivate them to embrace more sustainable practices.

You could start with baby steps, but if you look into the calculations for carbon footprint....those babies need to be HUGE. I suggest working to guide your whole company to target specific topics that regionally or globally will start to make an impact. Get awareness about your own company impacts and start discussions with those in positions of authority that can start to make changes. They are the ones that need to have awareness, but not just about the to-do list of reductions but the positives of achievement.

Yes, this works perfectly in conjunction with polling your team. Asking the team what causes or initiatives mean the most to them and then aligning to those helps you create even more buy in and bigger results.

I emphasize shared values to convince my team of the importance of reducing carbon footprints. I connect the goal of lowering emissions to our common commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. By aligning the initiative with values we all care about, I foster a sense of shared purpose and encourage the team to support and adopt greener practices.

Shared values - What are your company values? *Profit - Your customers are starting to pay attention to carbon footprints. *Environment - We have to breath the air and drink the water. *Stewardship - Your customers also care about this.

Anything with the term 'cutting' in it is rarely seen as an opportunity. So when you talk about cutting carbon footprint people immediately think that something is being taken from them....their access to resources is going to be limited and their jobs will become more difficult. You need to reframe around the fact that taking such steps is unlocking more value within their remit. It could be making their budget go further by reducing costs or giving them a new and fresh approach to take to clients to open up a new revenue stream or increasing their team's motivation by getting team members excited about something value led. Reframe it as an opportunity.

I incentivize change by offering rewards and recognition for efforts to reduce carbon footprints. By creating incentives such as bonuses, public acknowledgment, or other benefits, I motivate the team to embrace and commit to sustainable practices. This approach encourages positive behavior and reinforces the importance of our collective environmental goals.

For a lot of teams, competition is healthy. Creating an award around your initiative can create excitement, team engagement, team building and fun around a topic that often feels heavy.

You can make small changes at a single site and maybe reduce costs, but believe it or not; to save the environment, you are likely going to have to spend more than you normally would. SO....don't make the incentive about just spending less. Be creative and think about the things that your employees value. For example - Maintenance teams have to spend less time changing our LED bulbs than florescent ballasts. It might cost more to buy these, but the Maintenance team will now have more time to spend on valuable tasks instead of changing out the lights.

From the corporate level - Practical steps to reduce carbon footprint might be to change the requirements in your contracts of how your purchasing department buys raw materials or how contractors are tasked with completing remodeling/construction projects. From the site level - Practical steps probably should start with an evaluate of where you are wasting energy, so don't just pick an idea that sounds interesting. For example, do a study on how efficient your air compressors are. Do they always run?/Are there lots of leaks?/Do you have equipment running in idle over the weekends?

To ideas: Either become a sustainability guru or find one (internally or a consultant). Show expertise and let the examples from other companies guide you. Don't rely on your own teams creativity to come up with all the ideas. Join an Association or local Committee so that you have some personal time spent with this topic. However you do this - Keep the decision makers/driving management informed about the positive impacts and steps towards the goals.