The practice of employee engagement as a tool for advancing environmental responsibility and sustainability has spread rapidly and evolved into a more institutionalized element of companies’ broad sustainability strategies. That is one of the findings by the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) and GreenBiz Group, which jointly released a report on the growth of environmental and sustainability employee engagement. The two organizations also have announced a partnership and the launch of a free employee engagement website, greenbiz.com/engaged. 

“The report, ‘Toward Engagement 2.0: Creating a More Sustainable Company through Employee Engagement,’ examines how companies are going from primarily ad hoc and self-organized employee engagement efforts, to providing more organizational support and structure for environmental and sustainability education,” said Diane Wood, president of NEEF.

“Employee engagement has become a strategic asset for companies seeking to align environmental responsibility with business success,” said Joel Makower, GreenBiz Group’s chairman and executive editor. “This report provides real-world case studies of companies that are embedding sustainability into their culture, from employee orientation and training to evaluating their companies’ overall employee engagement efforts.”

Many companies are working to incorporate their sustainability vision, goals and strategy into their culture. A survey conducted by GreenBiz Group and NEEF in August 2011 and featured in the report indicates that environmental and sustainability (E&S) knowledge remains both valued by companies and is expected to increase in importance as a hiring factor. The survey also determined that a majority, or 58 percent, of respondents in companies that currently lack an E&S education program are planning on educating employees within the next two years.

“The report builds on NEEF’s past work on employee engagement, including its Business Sustainability Educational Roundtable, and its previous employee engagement reports. These efforts have demonstrated that engaging employees in sustainability can improve a business’ bottom line while helping reach its sustainability goals,” said Ken Strassner, retired vice president of global environment, safety, regulatory and scientific affairs at Kimberly-Clark Corp. and a member of NEEF’s board of trustees. Strassner also led the Roundtable, which has been a leading forum on employee engagement strategies with the participation of many Fortune 500 companies.

The new report also shows how companies such as Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, PwC, Cisco Systems, eBay and BT Group plc, are creating innovative tools for employee engagement. These include green teams, engaging employees through social media like Twitter, and awards and incentives. Companies are encouraging their employees to take action on sustainability at work, as well as at home and in their communities.

Through a five-step process detailed in the report, companies are able to establish a culture of sustainability.

1. Permit: granting employees permission to become involved in sustainability initiatives.
2. Educate & engage: providing employees educational materials and engaging them in sustainability activities.
3. Act: empowering employees to take action at work, as well as at home and in their community.
4. Embed: making sustainability a regular part of their organizations, including their human resource processes, operations, product or service innovation & development, and beyond.
5. Evaluate: measuring and evaluating employee engagement efforts to gauge impact, support continued integration into company culture and inform future employee engagement efforts.

This report also marks the launch of a partnership between NEEF and GreenBiz Group on employee engagement. As part of the partnership, GreenBiz Group plans to publish research on employee engagement trends annually, feature exemplary examples of employee engagement programs and offer regular news and expert opinion on the topic. GreenBiz Group will also house the environmental and sustainability education work of NEEF online at greenbiz.com/engaged. The free website offers news stories, guest columns, business resources, recommended reading and access to NEEF’s employee engagement reports.

About NEEF
The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) provides knowledge to trusted professionals who, with their credibility, amplify messages to national audiences to solve everyday environmental problems. Together, we generate lasting positive change. To learn more, call (202) 833-2933 or visit www.neefusa.org. 

About GreenBiz Group
GreenBiz Group is an integrated media company focused on supporting professionals who view sustainable practices as a core part of their businesses. GreenBiz Group defines and accelerates the business of sustainability through a range of products and services, including GreenBiz.com, conferences and events, research reports, and the GreenBiz Executive Network, a peer-to-peer learning forum for sustainability executives. More information: www.greenbiz.com.

National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF)

National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF)

The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) provides knowledge to trusted professionals who, with their credibility, amplify messages to national audiences to solve everyday environmental problems. Together, we generate lasting positive change.

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