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So, you want to be a climate leader at work but don’t know where to start? It can be scary taking that first step. We get it. Just because you care deeply about the climate crisis and take actions within your own personal life, doesn’t mean you automatically have the confidence to bring that to your workplace.
The first thing you need to know is that anyone can do it. Real leadership has nothing to do with hierarchy or job title. “Climate leadership within a business takes many forms and you don't need to have ‘sustainability’ in your title to be a climate leader,” says Katelyn Prendiville, WorkforClimate’s Head of Experience.
Here is how three successful climate leaders started their journeys.
1. Find a solution to an existing climate problem that can drive a positive impact
WorkforClimate Academy graduate Bernie Wiley knows how intimidating climate leadership looks from the outside. Beginning his career on the factory floor, his passion eventually led him to his dream job as Sustainability Director at Who Gives A Crap. But that journey all started with one small step.
“One way you can start, and something that I did early on, is to address an existing problem in your workplace that also drives positive outcomes for the business or its clients,” Bernie says.
“For example, reducing waste in any form often reduces cost as well as emissions. Choosing energy-efficient lighting, appliances or machinery can often have a strong business case over the asset’s lifetime,” he explains. “Share with others how the initiative has delivered climate plus business impact and invite them to find similar opportunities. This will help to open conversations and you can help others to find solutions that are climate positive.”
This first step always feels like the biggest, which is why having a tangible problem to solve – even if it seems minor – boosts your confidence and makes a case to others in the workplace that climate action is worth taking.
RELATED: How WorkforClimate Academy graduate Bernie helped Who Gives A Crap go solar
2. Join forces with those around you
Climate leadership isn’t about trying to do everything alone. It’s about working together and sharing power to drive change. Once you realise that, it can really take the pressure off.
WorkforClimate’s Katelyn Prendiville says a great first step to consider is gathering support and then identifying what unique skills everyone can bring to the table. “When you join forces with others, you create a collective momentum that’s hard for decision-makers to ignore.
“By bringing in colleagues from different parts of the organisation, you tap into a broader range of insights, perspectives, and skills,” Katelyn adds. “Together, you build a network of people pushing for sustainability, making it easier to shift the organisation’s priorities and embed climate action into the company culture.”
RELATED: Why community is the key to climate action in the workplace
We all have unique skill sets and passions, so it makes sense that collective action works best when we lean into this. It not only helps people build confidence but also helps them connect to the cause.
“At my previous company, we started a sustainability committee with employees from different levels and departments,” Katelyn shares. “Everyone brought different experiences, and we made sure people could choose areas they cared about and how much they wanted to participate. Giving people this sense of ownership and agency not only makes your climate leadership efforts more effective, but also helps them grow and spread throughout the organisation.”
3. Step back before jumping in
Once you decide to throw yourself into pursuing climate action at work, it can be tempting to go in all guns blazing. However, WorkforClimate Academy graduate Laura Wilson says that often the first move worth making is a subtle one
“Taking the first step in climate leadership sometimes requires you to take a step back for a moment of reflection,” says Laura, who had been working at her job at global cycling company Specialized for nearly a decade when she decided it was time to bring her passion for climate action to the workplace.
“Early in my journey, I was eager to make an impact, diving into multiple projects without fully considering which ones would have the greatest effect,” she shares. “I also struggled to understand why climate action wasn’t a top priority for everyone in the organisation.”In taking this time to talk to people first, Laura learned that every colleague is facing their own challenges and priorities, and understanding that is the key to success. “To create a meaningful organisational shift, I chose to work smarter by stepping back and building relationships, while becoming more attuned to the power dynamics within the business,” she says.
“I directed my energy toward identifying key individuals and initiatives that could drive significant change. This involved carefully scanning both internal and external landscapes and seizing the right moments to initiate conversations. Once the opportunity arose, I focused on listening and asking open-ended questions to understand others’ perspectives with empathy and curiosity.” An approach that opens more doors and means you aren’t fighting for change alone.
If we are going to make the massive change required to overcome the climate crisis, we need everyone on board. World leaders, local government and businesses of all sizes. And it's up to us to drive this change wherever we can. While it may feel intimidating, we all have the connections and resources around us to take the first step, no matter how small it might feel.
Want to learn some more practical and actionable tips to becoming a climate leader in the workplace? Join our FREE interactive, 1.5-hour workshop to learn how to become a climate leader at your job and find your community.
