A critical factor influencing the success of sustainability efforts is the right mindset and the ability to change.
An organization that is serious about pursuing sustainability needs a strong and inspiring mindset that is shared from the leadership level all the way to the employees. It is about developing a vision that goes beyond purely economic goals and takes into account the long-term well-being of society and the environment.
In this context, it is important to create awareness that sustainability is not only an obligation, but also an opportunity.
Understanding change as an opportunity
The thought of change causes discomfort for many people. But it is precisely in the context of sustainability that we should view change as an opportunity to achieve a positive impact on the environment and society.
We often don’t realize that a more sustainable world means a healthier world for us: better air to breathe, better soil and healthier food, a secure food supply, enough water for everyone, better social participation, better working conditions, more justice….
And a more sustainable world also makes sense when looking at numbers: A 2023 study commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Climate Protection calculates the consequential costs of climate change for Germany to be in the range of 280 to 900 billion euros by 2050. This does NOT include numerous adverse health effects, deaths from heat and flooding, stress on ecosystems, loss of biodiversity, and a poorer quality of life. At least 145 billion euros in damages have already been caused by the consequences of climate change in Germany between 2000 and 2021. (Source: https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/schwerpunkte/klimaschutz/kosten-klimawandel-2170246)
Sustainable management is therefore also desirable from a cost perspective.
Opening one’s eyes to a sustainable world is usually not so easy.
I find myself again and again in sustainability debates where major steps of change towards sustainability are countered by “but we have to maintain our prosperity” (despite this and similar figures and studies). Maintaining prosperity then means continuing our current ways of living and working with as little change as possible. The reason for this way of thinking is often a longing for stability, which is increasingly dwindling due to our increasingly crisis-ridden times.
A first step toward seeing change as an opportunity can therefore be to redefine the concept of prosperity. What can prosperity look like for us as a society in a sustainable world? The book“Zukunftsbilder 2045” (“Visions of the future 2045”) provides an answer to this question. It uses simulated panoramas to show what 16 cities in Germany, Switzerland and Austria could look like in the future: green meeting places where energy generation, transport and food form a circular economy. In addition, a report tells how the global climate goals have been achieved in 2045 and what a good life in the future can look like.
The introductory quote shows the mindset that the book aims to promote:
From the crisis, a new world can emerge that does not spring from our minds, but from our dreams. Even if we don’t know exactly what the future will look like, we should imagine it. Because we can only create what we carry as a vision in our hearts.
JOANNA MACY
We also need a mindset in organizations that supports precisely these changes and has a clear, desirable vision in mind.
The path to a sustainable mindset in the organization
- Leaders as role models: Sustainable transformation starts with leaders. They should embody the values and beliefs that stand for sustainability and lead the way as role models. By integrating sustainability into their decision-making processes and inspiring their employees, they create an environment of change.
- Awareness raising and training: To establish a sustainable mindset, it is important to educate employees about the importance of sustainability and make them aware of the impact of their actions. Training and workshops can help promote an understanding of sustainable thinking and action.
- Integration into the corporate culture: Sustainability should not only be regarded as an isolated topic, but should be anchored as an integral part of the corporate culture. This means that sustainable actions should be integrated in all areas of the company, from procurement to marketing and also in innovation work.
- Empowerment and participation: Every employee should have the opportunity to actively participate in shaping the sustainability strategy and measures. By incorporating the opinions and ideas of employees, the commitment to sustainable action is strengthened.
3 first steps to drive a mindset change
- Green Nudges: Gentle nudges toward sustainability
A good way to promote more sustainable behavior in the organization is through so-called “green nudges.” These are gentle nudges or incentives that encourage us to make environmentally friendly choices without resorting to coercion or prohibition.
A small example: printers are preset to double-sided printing as the default option in order to reduce paper consumption. By making environmentally friendly behavior the easiest and most convenient option, employees are encouraged to automatically make sustainable choices. For more on the topic, see our Nudging article. - Green Teams: Interdisciplinary teams driving sustainability initiatives bottom-up.
We need top-down and bottom-up approaches for changes as profound as a sustainability transformation.
One bottum-up approach is Green Teams – where employees from a wide range of departments voluntarily join forces alongside their actual jobs to discuss sustainable issues, launch sustainability initiatives and drive them forward. This is creating ever broader internal pressure on the issue of sustainability.
One example of Green Teams is Telekom’s Green Pioneers. The Green Pioneers are a community of over 250 Telekom employees who work together to raise awareness for more sustainability, create awareness and offer the opportunity to join in and recreate.
They organize themselves into thematic or even regional hubs / working groups. The local hubs meet regularly for a joint breakfast or lunch to exchange ideas. In a thematic hub, those who care about a particular topic or have expert knowledge that they would like to contribute have come together.
The hub members of “Healthy & Climate-Friendly Nutrition”, for example, hold regular sessions to share their knowledge with other colleagues. They clarify the impact of daily nutrition on ecosystems and the global climate.
(Source: https://www.umweltdialog.de/de/management/unternehmenskultur/2020/Green-Pioneers-gemeinsam-fuer-eine-gruenere-Telekom.php) - Change agents: job seekers who come in with sustainability skills
Young people who increasingly apply with a sustainability background already come to the organization with a different skillset and mindset. In recent years, more and more degree programs have emerged that focus on sustainability. Now their graduates are entering the job world and have a different view of entrepreneurship than the traditional business student. They come to the organization with the question of how the environment and social issues can also play a role in the company. To this end, they question existing processes and present new perspectives – important elements for demonstrating a new mindset to other employees.
Why is change for greater sustainability different?
The change process for greater sustainability differs in some respects from other change initiatives. It requires a shift in thinking and a holistic, systemic view of business practices. Sustainability goes beyond individual projects or programs; it affects every area and every level of the organization. It is a cross-cutting transformation and therefore also a cross-cutting change process.
Its effects are long-term and have the potential to impact not only the environment, but also corporate image, customer satisfaction and employee motivation.
