Article 16: How to Think About Sustainability at ‘Work’
by
Hemali Bhashyam
Climate change is the pivotal issue for our generation and generations to come. Our pursuit of energy production via fossil fuels and deforestation has led to such a dramatic increase in our planet’s greenhouse gas emissions that it is causing extreme temperature and weather pattern changes all over the world. Urgent action is critical as we only have until 2030 to reduce emissions by more than 50% to
keep temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius.
While 2 degrees Celsius may seem trivial, a global temperature change of 2 degrees can cause such profound weather changes to make our planet inhospitable for human life. Our actions in the coming years have tremendous ramifications. While most of us are familiar with actions we can take in our personal life (e.g. flying less, buying less, switching to renewable energy), there is even greater power in collective community action through the organizations we are a part of for work or volunteering. Corporations, city/town governments, temples and spiritual organizations, schools, and non-profit organizations all can take action to address climate change.
From an organization-level, there are three key ways to think and act on sustainability efforts at ‘work:’
- Conduct internal advocacy – advocate for measures to address climate change within the organization
- Collaborate with like-minded peers – form ‘green teams’ – a group of individuals dedicated to finding ways for the organization to achieve its climate agenda, and
- Leverage your skill set – understand what you can contribute based on what’s needed, what
you’re good at, and what brings you joy
Yet, how does one practically do this within an organization that is big or small? Here’s how:
- Conduct internal advocacy – Ask the organization leadership these key questions:
- Does the organization track and report its CO2 emissions? (Usually done via an Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) report or Sustainability report)
- What actions or initiatives does it take to address climate change and reduce emissions?
- Is there a Chief Sustainability Officer or champion in charge of sustainability? Is there proper governance in place to make decisions that impact the organization’s emissions?
- Does the organization educate its people on climate change matters?
By asking these types of questions, you will have a better understanding of where the organization stands and what needs to be done. Be bold and push consistently and repeatedly for these organizational efforts.
- Collaborate with like-minded peers – Find individuals within the organization who are passionate about issues related to climate change and sustainability and form a ‘green team’ to help the organization meet its climate goals. Activities may include:
- Educating people on climate change through a “Climate 101” course
- Organizing brown bag lunch with expert speakers
- Identifying ways to reduce organizational waste
- Advocating to leadership to track and report emissions, take action, and work with local or regional stakeholders
There is great power in grassroots movements and the collective power of people coming together. Chinmaya Mission’s Prithvi Seva guide and talk series is a great example of what can be done when people come together and leverage their knowledge and skills to tackle issues.
- Leverage your skill set – Most people think that to address climate change, we need to have a paid job in the space, but that’s not true. We all have skills, whether that’s writing, graphic design, bringing people together, or planning events, so why not leverage them toward the issue? Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson has a great TED talk and interactive venn diagram to help identify where you can best take climate action.
No matter which organization we choose to call ‘work’ – whether for employment or volunteering, there’s always something we can do to address climate change. As individuals, our impact is valuable but bounded – by working collectively, our ability to make effect change is boundless. It is time we act together for the well-being of the planet.
Action to Implement
Post your reflections & observations in the comments section below ⬇️
🌱 June 2023: 🏢 In your workplace, join or initiate a “green team” that is committed to reducing emissions and educating people on climate change.
Past Months Action to Implement
- 🏪 Make a list of places (local cafes, stores, etc) where plastic use is unavoidable.
- 📝 Create a plan to reach out to one place to reduce their plastic use.
🌱 April 2023: 💝 Gather your loved ones and plant native trees and native perennials!. 🌳 Track progress and share pictures with the Community to reach the goal of 1000 trees by Arbor Day! (April 28th).
🌱 March 2023: (1) Plant seeds to start a kitchen garden indoor or outdoor. (2) share pictures in the comment section below.
🌱 February 2023: Research a local environmental group and attend their upcoming meeting
🌱 January 2023: 🌍 Create your personal practices for the 6 fundamental virtues
🌱 December 2022: ✅Do the following:
- Simplify one closet or one drawer in your home every week. Remove items that have not been used in the last 1 year.
- Dispose of unneeded items in a responsible way.
🌱 November 2022: ✅Make a list of the gifts you usually give during the holidays.
🌱 October 2022: This month, add 1 or 2 regional plants from the Xerces Pollinator Conservation website to your landscape!
🌱 September 2022: This month, review the Green Building list & commit to 1 simple and 1 challenging item to implement in your community/center.
🌱 August 2022: This month, read the Prthvi Seva Guide & commit to at least one practice to make your center/community more sustainable.
🌱 July 2022: This month, take a closer look at your travel impacts:
🔢 Estimate the carbon emissions of your mode of travel, lodging, food, and purchases
🙋🏻♀️ Commit to making one change to reduce your carbon footprint
🌱 June 2022: This month, take a closer look and identify your food waste as:
🍌 food prep scraps
🍽️ plate waste (unfinished food)
🤦🏻♀️spoiled or unwanted foo
🌱 May 2022: Implement the following actions.
- Reduce food Packaging.
- Learn about local and seasonal foods.
- Support a local grower & shop at Farmer’s Markets.
🌱 April 2022: Sahasra Vrksha Sankalpa – As a CommUnity, bring your heart and hands to the ground to plant 1000 trees together. Track and share here.
🌱 March 2022: Contribute to the health of our planet and the health of beings by doing the following:
Each day take inventory of what goes in the trash.
Identify the most common item.
Find an alternative that eliminates this waste.
🌱 February 2022: Implement the following and encourage others to follow:
- Unplug chargers when not in use
- Use the ‘Energy Saver’ mode on phones & laptops
- Use cold water for laundry & line dry
🌱 January 2022: Identify 3 actions you do that help the environment and 3 actions that harm it
