Creating actionable change for the environment we all share can feel daunting, especially for those whose livelihoods aren’t rooted in sustainability. But with green jobs on the rise—a growth of 9% is expected over the next decade in the U.S. alone—finding ways to operate more sustainably is crucial across every industry. Fortunately, as climate change continues to evolve, so too are the solutions available to us.

Although there are around 100 companies worldwide responsible for 71% of the emissions that contribute to climate change, everyone has a role to play in raising awareness and accountability for reducing our collective impact. Wherever you work, you can be a climate activist by making simple suggestions and motivating others to do the same.  

Here’s how to get started:

Is the company you work for operating like it’s 1960? For example, is it hard to find ways to recycle? If you work in an office, does it have conventional, energy-hog lighting and electronics, or a huge parking lot but no infrastructure to charge electric vehicles?

Try encouraging your leadership to: 

• Transition to LED lighting. Energy-efficient lighting significantly reduces electricity consumption, contributing to a smaller carbon footprint. This not only cuts down operational costs, but conserves resources and mitigates the impact that energy production has on marginalized communities that otherwise bear the burden.
• Implement a recycling and/or composting system. Waste reduction strategies divert materials away from landfills, lessening local environmental overload and decreasing harmful impacts that landfill pollution has on vulnerable communities.
• Provide healthy, low-waste, vegetarian or vegan meals and snacks. Offering sustainable food choices lowers agricultural impacts and creates opportunities to educate people about the disproportionate effects of environmental degradation caused by industrial farming practices.

Does your workplace have the basics? Are there some options for recycling, but not composting? Has your building made the switch to LED lighting, but still runs on fossil fuel-powered electricity? A few charging stations in the parking area, but not nearly enough?

Consider advocating for:

• Ways to decrease emissions for those who commute, such as providing a stipend to take public transit or installing a communal bike rack. These options reduce air pollution, ease the strain on public infrastructure, and help lower transportation-related pollution in communities that are often situated near highways and industrial zones.
• A fully remote workforce or hybrid schedules, to keep fewer cars on the road. This also allows employees to more easily balance family needs and other caregiving responsibilities, or nurture hobbies that strengthen local communities.
• Sustainable team swag alternatives (like reusable, plastic-free water bottles), or better yet, a team experience instead. Focus on being a more conscious consumer by looking for team bonding activities that minimize excessive waste produced from buying merchandise.
• Widespread renewable energy solutions. Transitioning to renewable energy sources reduces reliance on fossil fuels, which creates space for local leaders to address severe environmental injustices including the negative health impacts traditional energy production has had on communities.

Do you feel a sense of community within your organization? Once tangible sustainability switches have been made, it’s time to go beyond the status quo and become an advocate for intersectional environmentalism.

Leah Thomas, Founder of Intersectional Environmentalist, explains this concept as an inclusive version of environmentalism that advocates for both the protection of people and the planet:

“It identifies the ways in which injustices happening to marginalized communities and the Earth are interconnected. It brings injustices done to the most vulnerable communities, and the earth, to the forefront and does not minimize or silence social inequality. Intersectional environmentalism advocates for justice for people and the planet.”

You can apply this way of thinking to your work in a variety of ways:

• Encourage (or require) vendors and other partners to accelerate their own sustainability and decarbonization efforts. Doing so can start a powerful ripple effect as many businesses work with similar vendors. This can slowly, yet meaningfully, promote industry-wide change.
• Create or join employee resource groups (ERGs) to share valuable information with your team. ERGs provide community-led platforms for fostering awareness, collaboration, and advocacy within workplaces. Organizations with active ERGs often demonstrate increased employee engagement, innovation, and a stronger commitment to environmental responsibility. 
• Be a champion for diverse hiring by recommending that your company list job openings on HBCU (Historically Black Colleges + University), Indigenous, Latino, Asian, and queer job boards. By intentionally seeking out job platforms targeting young leaders from diverse backgrounds, you’ll show young and diverse applicants that they’re a priority.

Finally, remember that you as a person don’t need to do this all at once, or on your own. It can be isolating to feel like the only person on a team who cares about the climate, but once you start having conversations with others, you may find that you aren’t alone. Together with your colleagues, you can work toward building a better, more forward-thinking workplace for everyone.

Want to learn more? Check out this article “Let's Make Our Workplaces Sustainable” by WWF, this The Joy Report Podcast episode on environmental justice and the labor movement, and sign up for the Green Jobs Board newsletter.

This article was produced in partnership with Intersectional Environmentalist. 

Reza Cristián is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of SUSTAIN THE MAG, which is an independent online sustainable media publication looking to create space for thought-provoking and journalistic stories for the public. Their main mission is all about slow media, and shifting the narrative of sustainability in media. She is also the co-founder of Slow Fashion Festival, an indie sustainable fashion festival founded in Austin, TX.