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5 Ways to Champion Sustainable Practices With Points of Light Research

This is the first in a series on findings from Points of Light research. Check out the other blogs in this collection:

Earth Day is on April 22, and it’s a natural time to think about one of the biggest threats – and opportunities for action – facing the world today: climate change. It’s a global issue with big implications, including impacts on our health, our access to food, and the future of flora and fauna that support and sustain our planet. We’ve compiled some sustainable practices to help you make a positive impact. Points of Light’s

research

shows that 40% of people are concerned about

climate change

when compared to other issue areas, and 43% of people are concerned about the

environment

when compared to other issue areas. This difference is likely due to the politization of climate change in recent years. It’s clear that climate change is going to require large-scale, systemic change. Every individual has the opportunity to make a difference and affect positive change. Here are some tips for how you can leverage strategies for sustainability, tackle climate change and work toward a healthier environment.

5 everyday Sustainable Practices

Learn About the Issue of Climate Change

Did you know that 73% of people said they took time to learn about the issue of climate change?

Listening and learning

is a crucial first step to tackling any social issue or cause area and is one of the nine elements of the

Points of Light Civic Circle

®

. When we learn about an issue before jumping into finding solutions, we can more effectively combat the challenges and remain sensitive to the communities impacted by it. If we don’t have the foundational knowledge surrounding what is going on, what work is currently being done and how best to help, we may even unintentionally cause further harm trying to solve the issue. Start by reading books and blogs, listening to experts and examining research to get educated on the current state of things. You can check out

TED Talks

focused on climate change, add some

books

on the issue to your library and listen to

podcasts

from knowledgeable experts in the field.

Volunteer With an Environmentally-focused Organization

Volunteering

your time and talent is another element of the Civic Circle, and this is an excellent way to lend hands-on support to the causes you care about, including environmental issues and climate change. Volunteers provide critical support in the form of pro-bono labor, saving organizations valuable funds, increasing people power and maximizing resources. You’ll want to make sure you find credible organizations that are working to solve the issues in sustainable ways. You’ll also want to be mindful of your schedule and capacity and choose an organization that can allow you to volunteer when you’re able – whether that’s once a week, once a month or during a special event with a team.

See how New Jersey teenager Jashmitha Sappa is working to keep batteries out of landfills.

Donate to a Nonprofit Taking on Climate Change

Don’t feel you have the time or capacity to volunteer? You can always

make a difference with your dollar

. As you research organizations working to tackle climate change, consider donating to these causes. Besides helping these organizations to thrive, you can also support ongoing research on climate change and the environment through your donations. Check our Points of Light’s free digital magazine,

Civic Life Today: Donate

, to learn more about how to vet each organization you consider to ensure that donor money is being spent wisely and the organization is actively working to advance the cause. Whether you provide a one-time or recurring donation, your funds can help make a huge impact on the issues. Nonprofits in particular rely on donations to sustain their mission. Donors are what help these organizations pay their staff, resource their volunteer projects and keep moving forward with their crucial work. Through contributing money, services or goods, you can support the welfare of others and help advocate for a more sustainable, environmentally friendly future.

Contact Your Representatives to Voice Your Concerns

How else can you combat climate change and work towards a healthier, brighter future for the planet? Since many of the sources causing environmental harm today come from large corporations and well-established systems, changes in political leadership and agendas are necessary to see large-scale improvements. As an individual, you can

use your voice

to make your concerns known to your local and national leaders. Contact your legislative representatives, be mindful of who you’re

voting

for and what their stances are on environmental issues, sign petitions for action on climate change and even consider reaching out to local officials or leaders in your schools or workplaces to introduce green solutions to these spaces.

Read about Bank of America employee Beth Hartnett’s sustainability journey, including cultivation of a community garden in her coastal New England town.

Take Steps Toward Sustainability in Your Own Life

With a little effort, you can take steps to reduce your carbon footprint and contribute toward solving climate change. Start by assessing your own carbon footprint with a

helpful calculator

. Then find ways to cut back on activities that are contributing to harmful emissions. Perhaps you make a plan with your family or roommates to be more mindful of water usage and energy consumption. Maybe you opt for walking, biking or public transit instead of driving everywhere – or consider carpooling with coworkers and friends.

Purchase

sustainable goods and be mindful of waste. Set up recycling or composting protocols in your home or workplace. Reduce your use of single-use plastics. There are myriad ways you can take small, daily actions to begin reducing your own carbon footprint.

Want to keep diving? Take a look at these topics to find out how you can leverage our research to take civic action in your own community:

Leading with Purpose: What We Learned in 2019 And How Companies Can Prepare for 2020

This year brought us clear indicators of a profound change that is taking place in society and the evolution of the business landscape.

Companies are being forced to learn and adapt very fast in a VUCA world

– defined by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity – redefining the role of business in society. As the year ends, we looked at some of the significant changes in 2019 that will continue impacting corporate social responsibility and employee engagement as we move into 2020.

The UN’s SDGs pass the five-year postmark and progress is not moving fast enough.

It’s been five years since the United Nations unveiled the Sustainable Development Goals, a set of goals and benchmarks for the entire world to unite around to make our planet a better place by the year 2030. 

The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2019

 showed us that progress has been made in several areas. The bad news, however, is that

scientists’ warnings about climate change have intensified over the past 12 months

. Climate change appears to be an unstoppable menace that threatens all life on the planet, and humans aren’t doing enough to stop it. Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals remains uneven, and is not moving fast enough to meet the ambitious 

17 goals

 on poverty, health, and equality by 2030. Responsible business and investment will be essential to achieving transformational change through the SDGs.

Gen Z is changing how we deal with social issues and the workplace.

One year ago, the international scientific community could hardly have expected that 

Greta Thunberg

, a teenager from Sweden and

TIME’s Person of the Year

, would become one of its greatest allies, and her role is an illustration of the many changes that are coming. Gen Z (those born after 1996) comprised

32 percent of the global population

 of 7.7 billion in 2019, surpassing millennials for the first time (who make up 31.5 percent), and they will make up 

24 percent

 of the global workforce by 2020. Gen Z has grown up in a society shaped by discussions around climate change, gender, equality and diversity. In the workplace, Gen Z seeks a career path, and a working lifestyle vastly different from the generations that came before them. They care about a company’s

social and sustainability commitments

 and gravitate towards companies that are purpose-driven. They want to know their work in some way will have a positive impact on the wider community, not just the business, and place high importance on joining an organization that shares the same values as them and that is proactive in its stance. Companies will have to be prepared to address the need for transparency and openness by acting with honesty and authenticity.

Civil society has become more fragile, volatile and divided.

Civil society saw an increase in duress in 2019. Civicus’ 

Annual State of Civic Society Report for 2019

identifies the rise of authoritarian leaders, right-wing populists and anti-rights groups as three of several reasons civil society has become more fragile. With people increasingly getting their news and information from 

partisan and/or biased sources and social media

, it has become harder for people to know what is true and what is false. These turbulent times will affect how companies operate and might influence their bottom line. As an example, as the most recent quarter drew to a close,

companies noted

the Hong Kong protests in their earnings releases; of the 20 major companies reporting, most said they saw a negative impact on their businesses.

Companies are being asked to have a voice and opinion.

Edelman’s Trust Barometer for 2019

shows that despite the lowering trust in mainstream media and “the system,” one relationship does remain strong and is trending upwards – the trust an employee has in their employer. The report states that “58 percent of general population employees say they look to their employer to be a trustworthy source of information about contentious societal issues.” 76 percent also say they “expect a CEO to take the lead on change.” SurveyMonkey recently conducted a five-country 

survey

 on what people expect of business leaders. Half of the respondents said they’ve bought from or boycotted a company because of the social or political views of the company, or the way it does business and/or treats its employees. And in every country surveyed, the majority of consumers want business leaders to stand up for social or political issues they believe in.

There are more activist companies and employees. 

According to a report from global communications and marketing firm Weber Shandwick, the 

majority of U.S. employees, especially millennials, believe they have the right to speak up about issues

 that impact society, and they aren’t afraid to take action.

Walmart workers staged a 15-minute walkout and a moment of silence

 to protest the sale of guns in the company’s stores. Google employees signed 

a letter petitioning the company not to pursue contracts

 with federal immigration agencies, claiming those agencies are committing human rights violations. And 

Wayfair employees walked off the job in June

 after learning of an agreement the home décor company made to furnish migrant detention centers. These were just but a few of the many employee protests that made headlines. The core part of a company’s function has evolved from not only being a driver of shareholder wealth but becoming a responsible steward and benefactor in the communities in which they operate – take BlackRock CEO Larry Fink’s 

famous letter to investors

as an example. Companies are increasingly putting their brand behind social causes they believe in, and employees are demanding that their employers do more than provide a salary and benefits package.

So, what does all of this mean, and how is it tied together?

All of these waves of change mean it is no longer acceptable for companies to sit on the sidelines of change. At Points of Light, we believe all of us have a role to play in creating a society where it is easy for people to take action. As we face a new decade filled with changing roles, expectations and immense challenges, companies must engage their people – from their employees, to their suppliers, to their board room – to take action. By companies investing in community engagement initiatives and making a conscious decision to be active, responsible and thoughtful corporate citizens, companies have the opportunity to not only continue to provide shareholder value, but provide stakeholder value as well. What will your company do in 2020 to set yourself, your stakeholders and you communities up for success and change in the next decade?

Daniel Elliott contributed to writing this article.