The coaching community is not the most obvious candidate for blame when it comes to events like the financial crisis, Brexit or climate change. And yet, after many of these ‘emergencies’ there have been mutterings along the lines of ‘where were all the business coaches at such an essential time’? It’s true that the coaching community could have done more to provide support and guidance but many of these events were so extreme no one saw them coming.
Climate change is the exception – we know that things are bad. Even the government is on board with the urgency, as the UK parliament officially declared a climate emergency in May this year. And there is evidence of this state of affairs all around; the oceans are warmer, the ice sheets have shrunk, sea levels are rising and we’re seeing increasing numbers of extreme weather events. The Indonesian government is even being forced to move its capital from Jakarta because the city is sinking at a rate of 25cm per year thanks to rising sea levels and land subsidence.
Green priorities are business priorities
Having spent my early career working within big organisations such as Total and BAA I know just how easy it is to overlook eco objectives when there are other priorities, from revenue growth to increasing product market share. That’s also the case with many corporate clients I’ve worked with since. However, I believe that these don’t have to be mutually exclusive – working with a coach can enable your business to develop a response to climate change and a more socially responsible approach that doesn’t impede, but rather works in tandem with, stellar growth.
Carbon neutral by 2030?
Declarations of climate emergency have been made all over this year, from officials in New York to the Public and Commercial Services Union. However, there is no single definition of what this means – and how we should be responding to the challenge. Many towns and cities in the UK have defined this as going carbon neutral by 2030 and some councils are seeking to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. But how can we respond as individuals and what can organisations do to contribute?
Re-evaluate the way your business deals with waste
Find ways to conserve energy within the office
Run training for staff and management
Aim for a paperless office
Support environmentally friendly vendors (e.g. renewable energy providers)
Introduce a policy of reuse to reduce waste
Encourage car sharing and more sustainable transport choices
Integrate climate-first thinking into your business culture
Raising the topic in conversation
The above list is a fairly generic set of ideas that any business can use to start responding to the climate emergency. For many people, whether you are an employee or a business owner, the key challenge is often getting climate issues onto the agenda in your organisation. Levels of awareness can be low and getting the discussion started is the crucial first step towards tangible change.
Business coaching can provide the support and guidance you need to start opening up the discussion around this topic, examining your own personal response and raising awareness in your place of work. With this in mind, I can help you to develop a strategy for asking the right questions, creating a space for discussion and gently informing those who don’t have all the facts.
Coaching is a great way to streamline and dig into your response to the current climate emergency and to start taking steps towards making a real, valuable contribution to combating climate change. The coaching community is entirely behind those who want to make a difference and ready and willing to help.