Students care more about climate change now than ever
Almost 20 000 students of France’s top Universities have pledged to not work for companies that do not strive to fight climate change. And the number keeps growing every day.
In the USA, the UK, Sweden and many other places, student movements have forced universities to divest from fossil companies. It is quite likely that those who successfully contributed to these campaigns will not completely change their views in a few years when it will be time for them to find a job.
Still a few years away from the job market, thousands of high school students are following the example of Greta Thunberg and go on a weekly school strike for the climate. These kids are not going to pretend that what they do at work stays at work, especially when it comes to climate change.
This is just another proof that corporate environmental responsibility does not only matter to shareholders and customers but also to employees.
In order to attract and retain young talents, human resources managers need not only to support and strengthen the CSR policy of their organisation but they should also ensure that the staff gets involved in it too.
Involving all the staff in your fight against climate change
With an increase in people’s awareness of climate issues, publishing a yearly environmental report and putting plants in the office is not going to be enough to convince employees that their job doesn’t threaten the planet.
Young people do not only want to see good things happen, but they also want to be part of it. This is why human resources should look for means to engage employees in adopting eco-friendly work habits, to make them contribute to the CSR policy of the company, and even to build a corporate culture with the care for the environment at heart.
If you are interested in discussing more this topic, and how to achieve employee engagement around climate change issues, write a comment or contact us.
Find here a few articles about the French students’ movement (in Swedish, & in French) and the text of the pledge.
Links about the students’ movements in the USA, the UK, and Sweden.
Get inspired by brave Greta Thunberg.
Read more about employer branding and sustainability.