Happy Earth Day!
Every year on April 22, more than a billion people come together from across the world in a bid to demonstrate support for environmental protection. But with nearly 1 in 3 employees saying their company isn't doing enough to combat climate change in a recent study, how can organisations position themselves on the right side of history?
Article contributed by Peggy de Lange, VP of International Expansion at Fiverr
The IPCC announced its final warning that the coming years are critical in saving the Earth’s depletion. However, the road to achieving Net-Zero seems unclear.
A survey, conducted amongst 2,000 UK workers by Fiverr (NYSE: FVRR) found that 3 in 5 (64%) cannot confidently define what ‘Net-Zero’ means. The data also revealed that 14% have never heard of Net-Zero. This figure doubles when looking at 16-24 year olds, with nearly a third (30%) admitting to lacking this knowledge.
This suggests a lack of education resources needed for change and could also be an indication of a serious and increasing sustainability skills gap across individuals and businesses alike.
Of those who have heard of Net-Zero, 42% do not know what their organisation can do to help achieve it. There is also a clear distinction on this point when it comes to geographies, with the figure rising significantly to 59% in Northern Ireland, compared to over 3 in 10 (32%) of those based in Greater London.
Are businesses doing enough to combat the climate crisis?
Despite the increased pressures from customers, workers, investors and government initiatives to push businesses towards Net-Zero, 55% of UK workers say their company ‘could do better’ to combat the climate crisis. .
Those in the travel and transport sector felt particularly strongly, with more than a third (38%) stating that their organisation is not actively trying to combat climate change.
Despite the UK’s initiative to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions to Net-Zero by 2050, the research report found that just under a quarter (23%) do not believe the government is leading by example on climate change issues.
Simple actions, such as leveraging technology and adopting smarter working practices can make a big impact on driving sustainability. The anywhere working economy has evolved from the hybrid working culture that the COVID-19 pandemic triggered, and it’s here to stay. It is made possible by digitized workplaces and the growing capabilities in the virtual world.
Peggy de Lange, VP of International Expansion at Fiverr comments, “We can leverage technology and adopt smarter working practices to drive sustainability. Utilising platforms that facilitate a culture of collaboration and enable remote working can help reduce our carbon footprint. We’ve learnt that physical office spaces and costly travel are not needed to produce quality work together. By digitising your workforce with remote freelancers, businesses can still collaborate with experts across the globe without a lesser impact on their green footprint.”
