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topicnews · September 27, 2024

Guest article: 9 tips for corporate sustainability events

Guest article: 9 tips for corporate sustainability events

Collecting garbage as a community experience and raising awareness for the environment: campaign in Hattingen, North Rhine-Westphalia.

How to successfully raise awareness and motivate employees for the green transformation: Nine tips from expert Marie Pippert for effective sustainability events.

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the company. But how can this topic be communicated to the workforce in an effective and motivating way? A proven method is so-called sustainability events, which raise employees’ awareness of environmentally friendly practices and integrate sustainable actions into both everyday work and the company profile. At sustainability events, the focus is on environmental awareness, resource conservation and social responsibility.

About the author

Marie Pippert is co-founder of Oclean. The non-profit company carries out educational work on the topics of garbage, plastic waste and how to deal with it correctly.

In and around Hamburg, Oclean organizes public waste collection campaigns and offers team-building workshops and further training for companies, organizations and schools. The founders of Oclean are the sisters Marie, Lena and Hannah Pippert.

Its goal is to sensitize employees to sustainable issues inside and outside the company, to impart knowledge and to promote environmentally friendly behavior in both work and private life. They are also an effective measure to position the company as a responsible employer, because sustainability has long been an important competitive factor that also has a positive effect on employee loyalty and employer branding.

1. Assess the workforce realistically

Before you start planning, it is important to realistically assess your own employees: What do you already know about sustainability? Which topics and fields of action are you particularly interested in? Which activities can actually be implemented with all those implemented? A short survey in the company can help to find out favorite topic areas and preferred measures and to design the event accordingly.

2. Appropriate topic selection and agenda for sustainability events

Select one or more key sustainability topics that are particularly relevant and of interest to your company and your employees, for example waste prevention, environmentally friendly procurement, saving energy in the workplace, sustainable mobility or supporting social projects in the neighborhood. Plan the process so that there is a balance between informative and interactive elements.

3. Interactive formats for the “we” experience

Successful sustainability events are characterized by interactive formats. Workshops, discussion groups, DIY stations (e.g. for upcycling) and challenges (such as garbage collection competitions) not only promote understanding, but also shared fun and thus the commitment of the participants. A “Green Day” in the company could, for example, be a combination of lectures and practical workshops with a playful, competitive nature, followed by an exhibition of the results and an award ceremony.

4. Invite external experts

Get support from external experts who can provide valuable insights and up-to-date information. These can be environmental consultants, representatives of NGOs or founders of sustainable start-ups. External speakers give the event additional credibility and relevance.

5. Sustainable implementation of sustainability events

Make sure that the event itself is designed to be sustainable. Avoid disposable materials, rely on digital communication and offer vegetarian or vegan meals. Choosing an easily accessible venue or offering carpooling can also contribute to sustainability.

6. Measuring success through surveys

After the event, it is important to get feedback from participants. A digital survey in which employees can evaluate the event and make suggestions for improvement is a simple and effective means. Also ask specifically which content was particularly well received and what might have been missing.

7. Monitor behavior changes

Measure success not only by satisfaction, but also by concrete behavioral changes. Did the event lead to more employees paying attention to waste avoidance, using public transport or even expressing ideas about more environmentally friendly company processes? You can document such changes through appropriate surveys or by observing key figures such as paper consumption or energy savings.

8. Repeat sustainability events

A sustainability event should not be a one-off event. In order to firmly anchor sustainability in the company, it makes sense to hold such events regularly and to continuously integrate the insights gained into everyday work. This could take the form of an upcoming “Green Week” or through the establishment of a “Sustainability Committee” that monitors and further develops the implementation of sustainable measures.

9. Successfully overcome difficulties

A common challenge is the lack of interest in sustainability issues, as they unfortunately seem complicated and unattractive to many people. The aim here is to design the event in such a way that it is a welcome change from the usual working day for all participants and, in addition to interesting information, also brings fun together with colleagues. If financial and human resources are limited, you can select actions that can be implemented even with a small budget, for example by using internal resources, cooperating with local organizations or using volunteers.

With sustainability events to a future-oriented corporate culture

Sustainability events are a valuable tool for promoting environmental awareness in companies and motivating them to act sustainably. Through careful planning, the integration of interactive elements and the consideration of feedback, such events can not only expand the knowledge of colleagues, but also lead to concrete changes in behavior.

Companies that take sustainability seriously benefit from greater employee loyalty, a positive image and, last but not least, a future-oriented corporate culture.

This text first appeared on www.how-green-works.de.

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