Studio culture is upstream from studio politics! How can you contribute to a more sustainable workplace?
These bullet points were mostly adapted from Drawdown’s HR guide. If this interests you, be sure to check out the Climate Councils framework in the IGDA Climate SIG Discord and build power in your own organization!
Workplace culture
- Foster a work culture where employees feel comfortable and are able to bring up climate concerns to leadership and take on climate at work. Create consistent pathways and forums for employees to provide feedback to leadership.
- Bring in climate scientists, advocates, facilitators, youth climate activists, and other experts to spark conversation.
- Work with your sustainability team (or a consultant) to develop or sponsor job training and education programs for local communities to build the green workforce.
- Provide employees with plant-rich snacks and meal options within food service or catering.
Employee recruitment and professional development
- Integrate climate and sustainability requirements and metrics into job descriptions, objectives and key results, and performance reviews and bonuses. (See this example from Mastercard).
- Institute mandatory—or at least incentivize—climate action training as part of onboarding and ongoing employee education at all levels of the organization, and especially for leadership.
Employee benefits
- Offer employees financial support for their own individual climate action, such as renewable energy purchasing, second hand equipments and low-carbon transportation.
- Suggest opportunities to volunteer with climate organizations and participate in climate actions (e.g., a climate march)—outside of normal PTO/leave.
Operations
- Work with finance and strategy teams to develop clear climate performance metrics at the management level, for transparency and accountability.
- Minimize carbon-intensive business travel for you, your team, and the organization as a whole, and opt for virtual gatherings. If possible, instead of flying, choose lower-carbon travel options, such as the train.
Fostering dialogue and action
- 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.