Transforming climate concern into action through the workplace: empowering employees to champion climate initiatives
Climate change is likely one of the most significant global challenges facing us in the coming decade, with data showing that a majority of people are concerned about it. Yet for many, turning concern into action can be challenging. Climate Habits is seeking to change this by fostering sustainable habits through creating opportunity for action through workplace settings. Over a three-week programme, they offer a combination of goal setting, in-person coaching, and digital tools to encourage meaningful climate action.
Oxford University Innovation’s (OUI) Consultancy Services responded to Climate Habits’ enquiry and played a pivotal role in building a framework for measuring the programme’s impact. The OUI team were able to facilitate the connection with an academic from the University of Oxford to help refine the methodology and develop robust research tools. Such collaboration was crucial in ensuring that Climate Habits had access to the best academic expertise to guide the development of their program.
As a former UK Government Communications Director, Judith Porter, the founder of Climate Habits, draws on 25 years of experience in public information and behaviour change campaigns to tackle this complex behaviour challenge – her vision is to create a programme that goes beyond information to motivate and inspire.
‘We believe that with the right support anyone with the motivation to do more, can do more. We want to create a ripple effect, where normalising individual action through the workplace creates greater change amongst colleagues and beyond. The support from OUI’s consultancy team was invaluable. They made it easy for us to connect with the right experts, saving us time and allowing us to focus on developing our programme.’
Over the past year, Climate Habits has evolved from proof of concept to a working digital platform, bringing on board professional coaches and expanding their reach into workplaces. The organisation has now set its sights on measuring the impact of its interventions on a larger scale.
Dr Mariana Gaytan Camarillo, from the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford, played a key role in guiding the team through evidence-based research and survey design. This academic support allowed Climate Habits to build a solid framework for measuring both immediate and long-term outcomes, ensuring their programme’s effectiveness.
Climate Habits’ approach stands out in the field of sustainability engagement because while many initiatives will focus on carbon-footprint counting or gamified approaches, Climate Habits emphasises in-person motivation, feedback, and self-reflection. Such a strategy aims to harness people’s intrinsic motivation to do more, leading to longer-lasting behavioural change. The research aims to demonstrate that workplace-focused programs effectively engage people and drive behaviour change.
Specifically, it seeks to understand whether Climate Habits’ impact goes beyond immediate actions; and explore whether individual motivations translate into collective workplace initiatives or support for national and local climate efforts.
The partnership with Oxford University Innovation has also opened new doors for Climate Habits, with a number of research pilots ongoing in workplace settings. Its next milestone will be developing the evidence base in a large private-sector employer to further test the programme’s impact. This could offer valuable insights into how workplace initiatives can contribute not just to individual and workplace action, but to broader support for societal climate-action efforts.
By creating an environment where people are encouraged to adopt sustainable habits, Climate Habits is at the forefront of a new wave of climate action—one that leverages workplaces to drive change.