September 5, 2023

Hats off to climate champions at work
The United States recently observed Labor Day, a celebration of the contributions of the American worker. It’s a time to acknowledge the people who build and maintain the foundation our country rests on—the people who, often without being noticed, enable us to power our lives, move from place to place, access food and shelter, and much more.
Today, for a world in the throes of an increasingly unstable climate and with a vanishing window of time to slash the greenhouse gas pollution that is causing it, the holiday is particularly meaningful. Because to solve climate change, we need to dramatically scale up climate solutions, and fast. That will take massive numbers of skilled workers building a future replete with heat pumps, mass transit, electric vehicles and chargers, solar panels, and much more, all aimed at permanently and comprehensively displacing the polluting industries of the past.
In other words, Labor Day celebrates the power of the worker to transform the world.
We also need people in desk jobs transforming the existing system from the inside. Businesses, especially large, multinational corporations, are disproportionately responsible for the planet-warming emissions that cause climate change, and they have a grave responsibility—as well as the resources—to address it. Employees across every business and every department can apply a climate lens to their job to help their company advance their climate work more expediently and expansively, and hold their employer accountable to their climate promises.
The phrase “every job is a climate job” is not hyperbole. We need all people engaged from wherever they stand. Within every sector, every trade, and every business, workers must be protected, equipped, and supported in building the world of the future and transitioning us away from the polluting businesses and industries of the past.
Worker power—whether it’s security to ask for safer, more sustainable working conditions, tools to take climate action at work, or solidarity in holding employers accountable—is core to the work of Drawdown Labs.
This Labor Day, we’re taking a moment to celebrate those who are bringing climate solutions into the world and their work, transforming the existing system from the inside. Last week, we asked Project Drawdown newsletter subscribers to share how they are taking climate action at work. We were inspired by what we heard, and reminded that it is workers themselves who are best positioned to lead us into the future because they are closest to the issues and they know best how to implement solutions.
Here are some highlights from what you all have shared:
Theme #1: You are making your everyday work—and that of your team members—more efficient and sustainable.
Some anesthesiologists are averting tons of greenhouse gas emissions by switching the anesthetic they use away from a potent greenhouse gas toward a more sustainable product. These anesthesiologists are also spreading the word with the goal of getting others to make the switch.
Concerned for their respiratory health, a fleet manager at a large tech company convinced their employer to switch to an all-electric fleet.
Community workers pledged to use cargo bicycle services instead of diesel vans to transport equipment to local schools for scientific outreach events.
Leadership at a top law firm decided to offer pro bono legal counsel to climate organizations and worker protection initiatives.
Theme #2: You are integrating climate action or reduced emissions into the product or service you or your business provides.
Product designers are sharing ways they have successfully integrated “sustainable nudges” into digital products. (For more specifically on the gaming sector, please see here.)
Consultants are integrating climate action into their work by translating climate solutions into “business speak” for clients.
Event caterers have transitioned their business model to offer fully vegetarian menus for events and meetings.
A senior manager at a large multinational corporation established a task force to review and revise the organization’s procurement policy to include preferences and requirements for sustainable products, services, and suppliers.
At a university, faculty and student services are working together to host green travel workshops for visiting students. The workshops provide practical support and encourage students to use public transit rather than flying for leisure travel.
A field scientist pledged to work with their IT and procurement departments to clean the data from 200 mobile phones left over from one research project in order to reuse and/or recycle them.
A mathematics professor decided to pause their research and instead invest their time organizing other professors and academic resources to support local climate projects in need of their expertise.
A retiree is using their skills to perform energy audits for households that can't normally afford them, not only helping them make their homes more energy-efficient, but also helping stop climate change.
Theme #3: You are pushing your company to use its influence to affect climate change in the broader world.
An executive in the treasurer’s office for a private company is exploring how the company can decarbonize its banking and bring other businesses along with them on their journey.
An advertising sales manager helped launch and acquire executive sponsorship for their company’s first employee green group and is helping others do the same within their own companies.
Employees in the healthcare sector are encouraging low-carbon travel policies and calculating the carbon footprint of scientific research conferences.
Solving climate change will require that each of us chooses, day after day, shift after shift, to work toward a healthier, more vibrant, more resilient future. We can’t just sit back and wait for our leaders to take us there. Every one of us must bring our unique talents and skills to bear on the task of shaping a better future together.
The climate solutions that we know can do the job are the result of the work of countless farmers, builders, Indigenous people, engineers, educators, foresters, healthcare workers, and others who have brought these actions to light. Whether they will be applied at the scope and scale needed to stop climate change depends on what we choose to do next.
Labor Day celebrates the power of the worker to transform the world. This year it matters more than ever. Because ultimately, our future rests on each and every one of us.
Read more
September 1, 2023

Join us at Climate Week NYC!
Project Drawdown is headed to Climate Week NYC – an annual event in partnership with the United Nations General Assembly and run in coordination with the United Nations and the City of New York.
According to Climate Group, an international nonprofit focused on climate action and the host for this annual gathering, "Climate Week NYC is the largest annual climate event of its kind, bringing together some 400 events and activities across the City of New York – in person, hybrid, and online. Each year, business leaders, political change makers, local decision-makers, and civil society representatives of all ages and backgrounds, from all over the world, gather to drive the transition, speed up progress, and champion change that is already happening."
At this year’s event, Project Drawdown will have its biggest presence ever, with presentations and workshops happening almost daily between September 18–22. Here’s a day-by-day rundown of where we’ll be in the city and how you can sign up to attend in person and virtually (where possible).
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Climate Clarity: Let’s debunk the myths
8:30–10:00 a.m. ET
999 3rd Ave., New York City
Kicking off the week, senior scientist Kate Marvel will be joining the Action Speaks Summit for a panel titled “Climate Clarity: Let’s debunk the myths.”
The summit – presented by IKEA | Ingka Group – is open to the public during Climate Week and takes place at 999 3rd Ave., New York, NY 10022. Stop by to explore the scientific reality of climate change, experience a positive vision for the future, and get inspired by impactful climate solutions already out there.
The exhibition features actions from over 30 companies and organizations working to create a better tomorrow, plus the space will host a series of dialogues throughout Climate Week to further explore solutions, debunk myths and barriers, and delve into what is accelerating climate action.
Learn more about the exhibition and save your seat today for the hosted dialogues.
Climate Capital: Investing in science-based climate solutions
1:30–3:00 p.m. ET
999 3rd Ave., New York City
Stephan Nicoleau, partner at FullCycle and Project Drawdown board member, will also be joining the Action Speak Summit for a session titled “Climate Capital: Investing in science-based climate solutions.” Visit the summit website to learn more and register for free.
Up2Us2023: A Better World is Possible
7:00–8:30 p.m. ET
2 W. 64th St., New York City
Rounding out the day, Kate Marvel will join filmmakers, climate scientists, activists, storytellers, movement builders, and journalists who are transforming the climate conversation for Up2Us2023. The event is both live and live-streamed, so register now before it’s sold out.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
ONE HOME, ONE PLANET dialogue
12:00–2:00 p.m. ET
999 3rd Ave., New York City
Project Drawdown managing director Elizabeth Bagley will be attending the ONE HOME, ONE PLANET dialogue featuring Jesper Brodin, CEO of Ingka Group, and others at the Action Speaks Summit.
During this invitation-only session, high-level contributors from business, government, and civil society will discuss what we can do to raise awareness about existing solutions and the actions being taken to implement them.
Project Drawdown served as a key scientific advisor for the Action Speaks Summit.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
The Drawdown Roadmap: Using science to guide climate action
9:00–9:30 a.m. ET
445 11th Ave. (4th Floor), New York City
Project Drawdown executive director Jonathan Foley will be delivering the opening keynote on day two of the Nest Climate Campus at the Javits Center in Manhattan.
Foley’s talk – titled “The Drawdown Roadmap: Using science to guide climate action” – will highlight which climate actions governments, businesses, investors, philanthropists, community leaders, and others should prioritize to make the most of our efforts to stop climate change. He’ll also share details about the Drawdown Labs Capital Accelerator – a new initiative aiming to strategically guide billions of dollars of investments into the most urgent climate solutions.
The Nest Climate Campus is free and open to the public, but space is limited, so register early.
Please note, this keynote will be recorded and shared online following Climate Week.
Narratives of Change: How storytelling shapes climate solutions
4:00–6:00 p.m. ET
999 3rd Ave., New York City
Back at the Action Speaks Summit, Project Drawdown’s Matt Scott, director of storytelling and engagement, and Drew Arrieta, storytelling coordinator, along with Jothsna Harris of Change Narrative, will be leading a session titled “Narratives of Change: How storytelling shapes climate solutions.”
How do we ensure that every voice, especially those most immediately impacted by the climate crisis (Black communities, Indigenous communities, and communities of color), is heard and valued in the climate conversation?
Join this conversation featuring Jennifer Seda, volunteer program assistant, Bronx River Alliance; Xóchitl Garcia, environmental justice community leader; Clara Kitongo, tree equity manager, Tree Pittsburgh; and Joshua Benitez, co-director, Common Ground Relief.
Live musical performances by Clara and Joshua will add a stirring, soulful backdrop to the panel, reflecting the heartbeat of communities engaged in building a better climate future.
Visit the summit website to learn more and register for free.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
The Path to Net Zero: Collaborate, Innovate, Change
8:45–9:30 a.m. ET
225 Liberty St., New York City
Kicking off the day, Jonathan Foley will be joining a panel at the Fast Company Innovation Festival titled “The Path to Net Zero: Collaborate, Innovate, Change.” This session – presented by 3M – will explore the economic transformation needed to reach net zero, the power of global collaboration, and opportunities for adopting scalable climate technologies. Register here (for a fee) to attend the Innovation Festival.
Read more
February 6, 2023

Major businesses praise USPS shift to electric delivery fleet
A group of major corporations led by Etsy and eBay is praising the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for committing to exclusively purchase electric vehicles starting in 2026, in a letter coordinated by Drawdown Labs, Project Drawdown’s private-sector testing ground for accelerating the adoption of climate solutions quickly, safely and equitably.
Etsy and eBay are among the largest e-commerce marketplaces in the country. The USPS is central to their business and to millions of small sellers who run their shops on these platforms.
The USPS is currently transitioning to an all-new fleet of 106,000 delivery vehicles. It announced in December that 62 percent of those purchases over the next five years will have all-electric powertrains and by 2026, 100 percent of newly purchased vehicles will be electric.
The letter from Etsy and eBay also includes signatories Askov Finlayson, Avocado Green, Ben & Jerry’s, Clif Bar, Dr. Bronner’s, A Good Company, Grove Collaborative, Patagonia, Peak Design, Seventh Generation, Stonyfield and Warby Parker.
“This decision sends a message to every business in the United States: it is possible, achievable and necessary to adopt all-electric fleets for corporate transportation and shipping needs,” said Jamie Alexander, director of Drawdown Labs at Project Drawdown. “These companies are working hard to reduce their climate impact, and this move by the USPS enables them to address the difficult-to-abate supply chain emissions. This is good news for all involved.”
With a shift to electric vehicles, the group of companies believe it will not just be good for the environment but good for business as consumers reap the benefits of lower costs and other innovations made possible by electric vehicles.
The nation and the world are quickly transitioning to electric vehicles, led by consumer demand for the many benefits of EVs, including better efficiency, easier maintenance, zero emissions and better performance. That means cleaner air, reduced climate risk and improved health across the globe. Electrifying vehicles is a key climate solution, with the potential to reduce up to 9.8 gigatons of CO2-e by 2050.
“For millions of small sellers and entrepreneurs on Etsy, a modern USPS committed to innovation and sustainability is crucial for the vibrancy of their small and micro businesses,” said Chelsea Mozen, senior director of impact & sustainability at Etsy. “The USPS’s commitment to a robust electric delivery fleet is good for the postal service, good for small businesses and good for America.”
“USPS’s commitment to electric vehicles is great news for small businesses like the many on our platform who rely on USPS to keep their business moving. eBay is proud to support this move toward greater sustainability and a cleaner world,” said eBay chief sustainability officer Renée Morin.
Read more
January 24, 2023

How to make your job a climate job
Would you like your work to help alleviate the climate crisis, even though “climate” is not part of your current position description?
In this webinar, sponsored by Climate People, presenters offer actionable advice on how you can reduce the threat of climate change, wherever you are and whatever you do for a living.
Presenters:
Aiyana Bodi, senior associate, Drawdown Labs
Adam Braun, co-founder and CEO of Climate Cluib
Ben Lai, senior software developer and employee Green Team lead at LinkedIn
Kristy Drutman, co-founder of Browngirl Green
Read more
July 21, 2022

Decarbonizing corporate cash: Drawdown-aligned business, investments & fnance
This webinar provides an overview of Scope 3 financed emissions and key findings from the recent Carbon Bankroll report before offering short- and long-term strategies for folks working in corporate finance and sustainability to reduce the carbon footprint of the company's cash and investments. The format is a short presentation, panel discussion, and then summary of key actions. This webinar is Part 2 of a two-part series on Drawdown-Aligned Business, Investments and Finance. Part 1, on Greening 401(k)s, is available here.
Speakers:
Paul Moinester is executive director and co-founder of The Outdoor Policy, an innovation hub that specializes in developing breakthrough solutions designed for seismic impact. As TOPO’s executive director, Paul has established TOPO as a leader in the responsible finance space and is spearheading numerous finance initiatives, including The Carbon Bankroll report and related initiatives and a first-of-its-kind global banking certification program that evaluates and rates financial firms’ social and environmental impact.
James Vaccaro is executive director of Climate Safe Lending Network, an international multi-stakeholder collaborative dedicated to accelerating the decarbonization of the banking sector to secure a climate-safe world. James has over 20 years senior management experience in sustainable banking and investment. He has served as a member of several advisory groups on sustainable finance at UK, European, and international levels and is author of several reports and papers on sustainable finance and impact investing.
Vanessa Fajans-Turner is executive director of BankFWD, a Founding Principal with Investable Oceans, and an advisor to the City of Ithaca’s Green New Deal. She was previously SDG financing director for the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, associate director for James Cameron’s Avatar Alliance Foundation, and a producer for Seasons 1 and 2 of National Geographic’s Emmy Award-winning documentary series, Years of Living Dangerously. She is currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Venture Partners for Hatziememos Libby, as well as a CNN Opinion contributor, siting on the advisory boards of The Resolution Project, William, Jeff and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation, and Amazon Watch. She has an MA from Johns Hopkins-SAIS and a BA from Harvard
Charlie Bischoff leads the corporate treasury function for Patagonia, handling all aspects of cash management, liquid investments, cash forecasting, corporate hedging and banking. He has helped build and execute the company’s sustainable finance strategy, which aims to align Patagonia’s global finances and financial partners with its mission, “We’re in business to save our home plant.” Charlie has worked in corporate treasury for 10 years across a variety of industries, including outdoor apparel, consumer packaged goods, and banking. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Vermont, and enjoys fly fishing and running in his spare time.
Patrick Flynn is senior vice president and global head of sustainability for Salesforce, the global leader in customer relationship management, where he defines and leads the execution of Salesforce’s environmental strategy. He helps the company use its full power for the planet, addressing the climate crisis to reach the shared goal of a just transition to a 1.5° future as quickly as possible.
Read more
July 18, 2022

Greening 401(k)s: Drawdown-aligned investments & finance
This webinar provides information on 401(k) climate-risk management, retirement fund transparency for employees, and outlines clear steps that human resources and sustainability professionals can take to offer climate-safe employee retirement funds.
The format is a short presentation, panel discussion, and then summary of key actions. This webinar is a Part 1 of a two-part series on Drawdown-Aligned Business, Investments and Finance. Part 2, Decarbonizing Corporate Cash, is available here.
Speakers:
Andrew Behar is CEO of As You Sow, the nation’s leading non-profit practitioner of shareholder advocacy and engagement. With a 30-year track record of success, As You Sow advances values-aligned investing and uses shareholder power to compel companies to reduce material risk on issues including climate change; toxins in the food system; ocean plastics; diversity, equity, and inclusion; racial justice; and wage equity.
Mary Cerulli is founder of Climate Finance Action. She has 20+ years of experience in the investment management industry. CFA researches and decodes financial information to empower advocates to wage smart effective campaigns to push the financial sector to address the climate crisis.
Regina LaRocque is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is a faculty member of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital. Her clinical and research interests are in infectious diseases, environmental health and travel medicine. Working together with Climate Finance Action, Regina, has been integral in advocating for climate-safe retirement at Mass General Brigham.
Read more
October 14, 2022

How can companies help the world achieve drawdown?
Today’s definition of business climate leadership centers on companies doing less harm, gradually reducing their emissions—and the damage they cause—over time. But this version of leadership neglects the many other levers companies have at their disposal to help or hinder our future on a livable planet.
A drawdown-aligned company leverages all aspects of its business—its social, political, and financial capital, and the power of its employees—to reduce emissions well beyond its own operations and help secure a just climate future for all. Hear from cutting-edge leaders across sectors working to help demonstrate a new leadership paradigm.
Speakers:
Vanessa Fajans-Turner, Executive Director, BankFWD
Alyah Kanso, Sustainability Manager, Golden State Warriors
Mia Ketterling, Global Sustainability Lead, Pinterest
Breene Murphy, Vice President, Strategy and Marketing, Carbon Collective
Matt Renner, Vice President, Seneca Solar
Jamie Alexander, Director, Drawdown Labs at Project Drawdown (moderator)
Read more
November 2, 2022

Climate policy advocacy: Drawdown-aligned business
On October 21, 2022, Drawdown Labs, in conjunction with Rewiring America, Evergreen Action, and ClimateVoice, hosted a webinar exploring why climate advocacy should be a key part of any corporate climate strategy, what the most impactful policy levers are, and how to take concrete action today.
Leah Stokes, associate professor of environmental politics at University of California, Santa Barbara, provided opening remarks. Lena Moffitt, chief of staff at Evergreen Action, moderated the panel. Panelists were: Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. senator for Rhode Island Stephan Nicolaeu, partner at FullCycle Paul Augustine, head of sustainability at Lyft.
With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), it has become clear that climate policy is a winning political platform and that the business community has an indispensable role to play in building more climate power. The IRA is projected to cut emissions around 38% by 2030. This is a massive shift that could dwarf the operational emissions reductions of a single company.
Any company that is serious about addressing climate change should take note of this opportunity––and use their power and influence to support climate candidates and bold climate legislation at the local, state and federal level.
Read more
December 19, 2022

Drawdown Labs: The year in review
In 2022, Drawdown Labs called for much more expansive private sector climate action—raising the bar for corporate climate leadership, welcoming more people in to help bring about solutions, and helping shift more money toward climate action.
As Project Drawdown executive director Jonathan Foley and Drawdown Labs director Jamie Alexander wrote in CNN Opinion this year:
Bringing climate solutions into the world at scale requires that every part of the economy bring its superpower to bear: genuine business leadership moving markets, investors and philanthropists shifting capital, workers building solar panels and wind turbines, and cities and states making climate solutions a reality in the places we live and work. And all of this will be accelerated by community leaders, employees and activists keeping the pressure up and demanding accountability.
Galvanizing bold climate action among these powerful global actors—and doing what we can to hold them accountable to their commitments—remains our mission at Drawdown Labs since we launched this experiment three years ago. This past year we were proud to make big moves toward this goal. Read on for highlights from 2022 and a sneak peek at our plans for the year ahead.
We grew our community and expanded our reach:
We welcomed new businesses Lyft, Etsy, and Askov Finlayson into the Drawdown Labs Business Consortium, expanding the base of businesses with ambition to align with the Drawdown-Aligned Business standard.
We created a new type of partnership, welcoming five organizations as implementation partners to help our business network reach the standards we’ve set out in the Drawdown-Aligned Business Framework: Carbon Collective, Doughnut Economics Action Lab, Evergreen Action, Rewiring America, and Seneca Solar.
We reached a new audience, business school students at the University of Colorado–Boulder, with a new course on the Drawdown-Aligned Business Framework.
We learned from the expertise of our two senior fellows, Chidi Oti Obihara and Sarah Frias-Torres, who spent the year with us doing important research on how Project Drawdown’s climate solutions can help shift the flow of capital to climate solutions.
We used our platform to hold leaders accountable and call for faster action:
Drawdown Labs director Jamie Alexander called on President Biden on Al Jazeera to declare a climate emergency, unlocking more resources to help scale climate solutions.
We played a key role in mobilizing business support for what became the Inflation Reduction Act, including by placing a full-page ad in the New York Times—seen by over 4 million readers—reminding the world that we have the solutions to the climate crisis and that leading businesses support strong federal climate policy.
In a fiery discussion between Jason Jacobs and Jamie Alexander on the My Climate Journey podcast, we helped open up a new conversation about some of the tensions and double standards that exist in the climate solutions space, igniting important discussions and helping all of us see ourselves on the same team.
We held our business partners to a high standard, and publicly called on them to step up when they fail to meet our expectations.
We leveled up corporate climate leadership to a new Drawdown-Aligned standard:
We gathered an all-star lineup of climate experts and advocates in a webinar to press business leaders on robust climate policy advocacy. To accelerate work in another key area of leverage, investments and finance, we also organized two webinars on decarbonizing corporate cash and greening 401(k)s to show that cash is not climate neutral.
Senior associate Julian Kraus-Polk wrote for GreenBiz that companies must consider their financed emissions if they are to help curb the climate crisis.
Understanding that each company and industry has a “climate superpower,” we brought together a group of experts to crosswalk the Drawdown-Aligned Business Framework with the gaming industry, utilizing its extensive reach to explore how it can go beyond operational “net zero” and level up climate impact.
Recognizing the world’s need to rapidly shift capital away from carbon-intensive activities and toward climate solutions, we worked to expand upon a new work stream focused on the role of finance. We brought on two senior fellows to kick-start this work by researching key climate finance and philanthropic strategies. And we laid the groundwork for a 2023 launch of a new network of investors and philanthropists who will work with us to better align funding decisions with strategic climate solutions.
We equipped employees with tools and inspiration to take climate action at work:
We are proud to be doubling down on our call to action: Every job is a climate job. To help bring this idea to life, this year we dug deeper into what that means and how we can help bring that rallying cry to life.
We released Job Function Action Guides for seven common corporate job functions, highlighting the climate actions that individuals in these roles can implement at work.
We connected thousands of employees with the action guides via social media, newsletters, presentations, and podcasts; the action guides are currently being used at companies across tech, manufacturing, food, and other industries.
We partnered with Terra.do to provide a deeper insight into what it means to apply a climate lens to your current role.
Jamie was a guest on the A Matter of Degrees podcast to discuss how individuals can take climate action at work.
Senior associate Aiyana Bodi discussed the creation of the action guides for Work on Climate.
We told employee stories, from those deeply engaging their customers and communities, to employees working beyond their job description—all in the pursuit of climate action.
And so much more on our YouTube channel.
Stay tuned to our YouTube channel and sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page to stay in the loop on the work we have in store in 2023.
Read more
December 9, 2022

To lead on climate action, engage ALL of your employees
We are reaching an important juncture within the corporate climate landscape. In a recent Deloitte survey of over 2,000 C-suite executives, 97 percent said “their companies have already been negatively impacted by climate change,” yet only 19 percent of these companies were identified as “leaders” in sustainability.
At the same time, climate change solutions are proving to be beneficial to business: Companies that take climate action seriously see more revenue per employee compared to the average—and those that don’t, see below average revenues.
Climate change is becoming increasingly top of mind for companies, but—despite the clear business value of being a sustainability leader—only a small portion of them are taking the necessary actions.
To remedy the disconnect between concern and action, we must redefine the standard for corporate climate leadership while also broadening who is involved in helping reach this standard. Companies have enormous social, political, and financial leverage—and the obligation to use it. Last year, Drawdown Labs—Project Drawdown’s private sector testing ground for going beyond “net zero”—introduced a new framework for corporate sustainability, showing that businesses, through things like policy advocacy and reevaluating financial relationships, can positively impact climate beyond reducing their own direct emissions.
The key to reaching this elevated standard for climate action starts with expansive engagement of employees. Employees represent a range of skills and knowledge that can scale solutions in the workplace and beyond. To deploy solutions that match the magnitude of the climate crisis, we will need everyone—and in the corporate context, this means sustainability can no longer be the purview of leadership or sustainability teams only. Every job needs to become a climate job.
Drawdown Labs recently published seven Job Function Action Guides focused on common corporate job functions to help leadership and employees implement solutions across the board. By understanding how ubiquitous corporate teams have opportunities at their fingertips to implement climate solutions into their responsibilities, decision-makers can spread climate action throughout their organizations for more effective, meaningful, and long-term impact.
Below we overview three powerful actions your finance, human resources, government relations, legal, marketing, procurement, and sales teams can take. Visit the Job Function Action Guides web page for many more actions and further information.
FINANCE
Banking
Direct decision-makers toward banks that are: minimally financing the fossil fuel industry and deforestation; shifting their financing to climate solutions; committing to aggressive anti-fossil fuel policies; and calculating their financed emissions.
Insurance
Inform insurance brokers that the company wants to consider not only policies and pricing during each insurance renewal, but also the sustainability of insurance carriers.
Employee retirement benefits
Team up with the human resources and operations team to evaluate whether retirement plans, 401(k)s, and other portfolios are invested in fossil fuels—and if they are, working to shift the default retirement option to a climate-safe one.
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND PUBLIC POLICY
Policy and regulation
Increase transparency about how the company spends political contributions and lobbying dollars, and allocate more dollars to lobbying in support of climate policy.
Public support
Work with the marketing and communications teams to develop effective communications strategies and campaigns to publicly support climate legislation.
Trade associations
Assess the trade associations the company belongs to and encourage these associations to lobby in support of climate action.
HUMAN RESOURCES AND OPERATIONS
Benefits
Offer employees financial support for their own individual climate action, such as renewable energy purchasing and low-carbon transportation.
Recruitment and professional development
Integrate climate and sustainability requirements and metrics into job descriptions, objectives and key results, and performance reviews and bonuses.
Workplace culture
Foster a work culture where employees feel comfortable and are able to bring up climate concerns, creating consistent pathways and forums for employees to provide feedback to leadership.
Read more