Set your team up for success

Your senior leadership team will approve your net zero targets and major capital expenditure. And your colleagues at many levels will affect how actions are carried out – and their ultimate success or failure.

It’s easy to think all the technical aspects of various activities are the most difficult. But people often tell us getting internal support is the most challenging aspect of introducing actions to reduce environmental impact.

Change management strategies can be used to embed the culture and processes needed to achieve net zero emissions. Behaviour change programs will also be important. For example, to reduce waste people will need to change their habits.

It takes constant, engaging, and clear communication to set your team up for success.

 Top tips:

• Engage employees early and often in your net zero journey.

• Understand how the outcomes your different teams value. For example, your finance team might value cost savings and your human resources team might value talent retention.

• Use your baseline emissions footprint to identify some quick wins with high returns to motivate your team.

• Identify a senior level executive to sponsor the pathway.

• Update your company mission, policies, and strategies to reflect your commitment to net zero. This ensures longevity after champions move on.

Once you have internal support, and a plan in place, make a commitment to net zero. This can start off internal and become public once you’re ready.

We encourage you to connect with other CitySwitch members. You could gain valuable first-hand insights from leaders across different sectors.