After intensive workshops on well being post-pandemic, global companies have now turned to teaching climate literacy to employees. The idea is that climate learning can build a better workforce for a smooth transition to a greener economy, and companies have realised that such knowledge sessions and training can make employees aware about environmental concerns.
Japanese global information and communication technology firm Fujitsu has 17 SDG communities, which is a worldwide network that includes global delivery hubs run by employees to share knowledge and ideas on how to achieve the United Nation’s sustainable development goals.
Employees are appraised on joining any of the 17 SDG communities, with each community focusing on goals such as no poverty, zero hunger, reduced inequalities, responsible consumption and production, etc.
Accenture in India has an ‘Eco Action’ initiative to create awareness to participate in volunteering programmes, eco surveys and training modules.
The brand has mobilised teams of more than 8,400 volunteers to participate in the green edition of ‘Empower Run 2022’. For every 40,000 steps covered by each team, Accenture planted a mangrove tree, resulting in a total of 31,700 trees planted in the area of the Sundarbans.
Global tech company, HCLTech has launched the HCLTech Sustainability School and its first comprehensive climate literacy learning series, developed by Axa Climate. It has been designed to raise awareness of the impact of climate change among HCLTech’s over 220,000 employees. The course covers topics such as biodiversity threats, resource extraction and reducing one’s carbon impact, as well as topics like green software. HCLTech employees have clocked more than 10,500 hours of sustainability training till date. “Our people can be our biggest champions on sustainability, and the school will provide them with practical tools to become agents of change,” said Santhosh Jayaram, global head of sustainability, HCLTech.
Schneider Electric started climate training of employees through the Schneider Sustainability School, which offers certification at three levels for all employees. Designed as a free-to-access digital platform to familiarise employees with knowledge, skills and parlance to innovate and develop climate-positive solutions, the course contains chapters covering key aspects like fundamentals of ESG, circular economy, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable transportation. “It is imperative to nourish future leaders with the right skill sets to excel in a world where achieving sustainable development is key. Our programmes strive to create the workforce of the future,” said Binu Philip, chief human resources officer, greater India zone, Schneider Electric.
“We organise webinars on a fortnightly basis on topics ranging from climate change to effects of fast fashion and soil erosion to adopting sustainable methods of living. Our environmental e-learning programmes promote a basic understanding of environmental management. These vary from general awareness to specialised sessions where employees can conduct audits on practices like waste management within the company,” said Manoj Nair, head of India global delivery center, Fujitsu.
SAP Labs India, SAP’s largest R&D centre outside of Germany, conducts monthly guided tours, providing employees with first-hand experience of the sustainable solutions available within the campus. Employees participate in tree and vegetable plantation drives and engage in insightful talks by environmental experts demonstrating their commitment to sustainability. The commitment to green energy sources has resulted in 97.5% of operations being powered by renewable energy.
Through robust EV charging infrastructure, water recycling efforts, and a campus free of single-use plastics, SAP Labs India has witnessed substantial shifts in employee consensus, said Sindhu Gangadharan, SVP & MD, SAP Labs India and head, SAP User Enablement. She added, “Our people engage in green mobility with 70% of transport being electric vehicles. They are shifting towards sustainable solutions to reduce carbon impact and actively participating in sustainability initiatives to create awareness among their colleagues for a greener future.”
Apart from training, there are also awareness mailers, sharing tips on paper, water, and energy conservation, and environmental quizzes that contribute in a significant way to higher employee awareness on environmental concerns. “Beyond individual action, it encourages collective responsibility to ensure continuous improvement on the sustainability imperative,” said R Swaminathan, chief people officer, WNS, a business process management company.
Life 360, the new environmental performance roadmap for the French multinational LVMH Group for 2023, 2026 and 2030 revolves around protection of biodiversity, fight climate change, recycling unsold products, upcycling by making clothes from existing stocks, or identifying alternative materials, besides training employees and raising environmental awareness. Since 2016, the group’s in-house environment academy has been designing training programmes using a range of learning materials, including face to face training sessions, e-learning modules and virtual classes.
Professional network platform LinkedIn for its members (employees) offers a range of training on how employees can get a job in the climate sector. The share of green talent has increased by 12% YOY since February 2022, and LinkedIn has seen a steady progress in India where paid job postings that require green skills have increased by 5% year-over-year on LinkedIn.
As of February 2023, 13.8% of all LinkedIn members in India can be considered ‘green talent’. Industries like farming, ranching, forestry (53.29%) and construction (49.46%) have undergone significant green transformation and have the highest growth of green talent share in India.