The Drawdown Labs Job Function Action Guides will help employees understand how their roles are critical in addressing the climate crisis, as well as implement high-impact solutions and navigate key considerations for taking action inside the workplace.
To make your sales or client-facing job a climate job:
- Work with the sustainability and finance teams to integrate the cost of carbon into your products and services (a ‘carbon fee’), and reinvest that cost into emissions reduction and sequestration.
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Pledge not to sell products or offer services to fossil fuel and other extractive companies—and the businesses that prop them up. (This applies to any type of role and industry that works with customers or clients—see this example from the PR and advertising world.)
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Using your knowledge and understanding of the customer, work with the marketing team to engage and inspire customers to take climate action.
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If you work in a client-facing industry:
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Research your clients’ climate targets and integrate the above ideas into your proposals (or into your client briefs if you’re the client).
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Serve more clients that work in climate advocacy. Consider doing some pro bono work.
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Encourage your clients to consider climate implications as they make their own business decisions.
- If you’re a designer, consider the social and environmental justice impacts of your work.
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Rethink sales models by: prioritizing services over goods; extending product warranties; expanding opportunities for product repair; offering rental options; developing second uses for products; and other actions that reduce waste.
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If you manage a sales team, institute incentives based on sustainability targets (for example, providing bonuses if a salesperson sells to a certain number of companies with science-based climate targets).
- Minimize carbon-intensive business travel and opt for virtual meetings/gatherings. If possible, instead of flying, choose lower-carbon travel options, such as the train.
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Network with sustainability leaders in your customers’ and clients’ organizations to understand their climate goals. Find ways you might help them meet those goals.
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Elevate the issue of the climate crisis at events and in organizations that you and your customers and clients are involved in.
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Build community with other climate-concerned colleagues within your team and beyond. Come together to brainstorm ways you can take action, and raise your collective concern at team and all-staff meetings.