Climate skills gap solutions for organizations

Here's three ways that companies can better enable employees (that don't have a "climate job" title) to act on climate:   📚 Invest in company-wide sustainability education and training for all employees It's not enough to just set and share a climate target. In order for action to happen across an organization, goals must be accompanied with ongoing education to define and contextualize relevant objectives and terminology. Employees and teams must understand how it relates to their work and day-to-day operations and why it matters to the company and themselves. This can include general education about climate change, from organizations like Climate Fresk, or more curriculum-style learning from organizations like Kite Insights or OnePointFive (opf.degree).   🛣️ Empower staff that are passionate about climate issues (even if it's not in their job title) to act on ideas Green groups within companies are a great way for climate-interested employees to gather and connect. It's also a powerful place for challenges and ideas to surface from those seeing it firsthand. There is tremendous potential to empowering those groups with clear pathways to have their ideas heard and resourcing them to put ideas into action. A lot can be learned from people like Drew Wilkinson and what he did at Microsoft to grow their employee resource group to 10,000 staff and implement tangible projects.   📏 Bring context-based, climate metrics into business unit KPIs Instead of climate and sustainability metrics being a siloed process, teams are a lot more likely to be engaged in climate progress if it's in terms they already understand. One of the best ways to do that is to integrate context-based, climate-related metrics into existing business unit KPIs. This allows teams to do their own analysis when making decisions and decentralizes sustainability. Some companies like Allbirds and Oatly have made this part of their branding, including CO2 equivalent per carton or pair of shoes. Companies must start investing in employees that are passionate about climate action. It is one of the most critical, yet underinvested climate solutions today. We need people in places throughout organizations with the knowledge, skills, and structure to act. Not just small, siloed teams asked to do too much. And from the thousands of people I've heard from, the demand is there. The pages below are direct from Environmental Defense Fund's Unlocking Corporate Climate Innovation report. [Full report can be found here: https://lnkd.in/esVc8Ykr]

Fostering climate action with AI? IBM is investing $30m. 71% of business leaders anticipate a heightened emphasis on sustainability skills in hiring, and 92% plan to invest in sustainability training in the next year. Sustainability skills are in demand and so is the need for climate action. IBM recently announced the $30m investment to help bridge the skills gap and empower individuals to make a tangible impact on our planet. It includes two new initiatives: 1. IBM SkillsBuild- free sustainability courses designed by IBM experts in sustainability and technology fields. ⬜ The target is to skill 30 million people by 2030, with a focus on underrepresented communities. ⬜ It includes free training connecting technology to ecology and climate change and includes AI, cybersecurity, and ESG reporting. 2. IBM Sustainability Accelerator- a pro-bono program dedicated to supporting environmentally at-risk communities around the world. ⬜ 5 new projects focused on water management solutions in 🇦🇪 UAE, 🇮🇳 India, 🇧🇷 Brazil, 🇺🇸 USA and 🇦🇺 Australia. ⬜ Projects target water access, quality, flood forecasting, and sanitation infrastructure planning. Sustainability and AI expertise are both key players in shaping our future. It's at that intersection we'll see even more great stuff happening. What do you think? ⭐ I'll include a link to the press release and learning in the comments. 👇 #IBM #AI #technology #Sustainability #TechForGood #futureleadership

Most employees don't know how to apply their company's sustainability strategy 🌎 A recent survey by AimHi Earth found that 93% of employees are unsure how to apply their company’s sustainability strategy to their day-to-day work. The survey, conducted with over 1,000 professionals, highlights a critical disconnect between organizational goals and individual actions. While the sample size is small, the results send a strong message. Many companies have ambitious sustainability strategies, but these strategies often remain abstract, leaving employees without clear guidance on how to implement them in their roles. This disconnect limits the potential impact of these initiatives. Bridging this gap requires translating sustainability strategies into practical actions. Companies can achieve this by providing role-specific examples, offering training, and ensuring that sustainability is embedded into operational processes rather than existing as a separate initiative. Clear communication is also essential. Employees need to understand how their contributions align with broader sustainability goals. When this alignment is achieved, it can drive greater engagement and make sustainability a tangible part of daily business operations. This survey underscores an important reality: for sustainability strategies to succeed, they must go beyond policies and reports. Ensuring employees can connect these strategies to their work is key to turning intentions into measurable impact. #sustainability #sustainable #business #esg #climatechange #climateaction