100 Ways to Support Employees & Communities Through Climate Change

Fifty-eight percent of women say their worries about changing and extreme weather patterns have increased a lot over the past two years. 

Climate risk—the threat that climate change poses to disrupt economic and social systems—has become a growing concern for employees, consumers, and communities. Yet, many respondents also shared that they don’t know how their companies would support them or address those risks as climate issues continue to escalate globally.

This uncertainty brings to light an important call to action for business leaders: Your employees want to see how your organization will take proactive steps to protect operations, support employees, and address the impacts of climate change. Younger generations, particularly Gen Z, increasingly expect their workplaces to reflect their values and take a stand on issues that matter the most.

This expectation is not only reasonable but necessary, as businesses are the primary source of global emissions that drive climate change and extreme weather events.

As of November 1, 2024, the United States has experienced 24 disaster events exceeding billions of dollars in economic impact damage. In California, for example, communities continue to face devastating wildfires due to record-breaking heat and dry conditions. Hurricane Helene ravaged western North Carolina in September, bringing catastrophic flooding caused by rainfall that was 10 percent heavier due to warming ocean temperatures. Meanwhile, New York is enduring its driest fall on record since 1869, marking a historic drought that threatens agriculture.

As global warming continues, these weather events are projected to become even more frequent around the world. Reports warn that 90 percent of the global population will face heightened impacts on human, physical, and natural resources by 2030. This puts companies under greater pressure to step up their corporate responsibility by addressing climate change prevention and preparing for risks that could affect employee wellbeing and business continuity. 

From proactive support during extreme weather to integrating sustainability into corporate strategy, it’s up to business leaders to commit to taking bold steps in building a more resilient future for all people. Here are 100 ways that businesses can prepare, support employees, aid communities, and take actionable steps to address the climate crisis head-on. 

Create a supportive workplace

1. Provide telework options for employees during extreme weather to ensure safety.

2. Allow flex-time schedules for employees encountering weather-related disruptions.

3. If employees are essential, even during extreme weather events, offer support like on-site child or dependent care to support families without other resources.

4. Provide a bank of mental health days (not repurposed PTO), encouraging employees to use for climate-related stress when needed

5. Offer access to eco-anxiety coping tools like wellness apps or therapy sessions, again breaking stigmas about what may necessarily fall under its use.

6. Create and/or share resources designed to educate employees about climate-related stress.

7. Host periodic workshops on reducing personal carbon footprints.

8. Create a resource hub with green living tips.

9. Encourage peer support groups where employees can connect with others to share their experiences and strategies for coping with climate stress.

Improve employee benefits

10. Include emergency savings fund options in employee benefit packages to proactively aid employees during crisis.

11. Establish Employee Assistance Funds for unexpected disasters.

12. Give stipends for assembling emergency preparedness kits.

13. Provide ‘home office’ stipends, encouraging employees to consider upgrades that are more sustainable.

14. Ensure health plans include mental health coverage.

15. Put together heat-illness prevention kits and keep them readily accessible for employees.

16. Provide compassionate leave for employees who are either personally affected by weather-related crises, or have family impacted by them.

17. Offer phased return-to-work plans for employees recovering from weather-related crises.

18. Offer fun gym memberships or wellness programs that promote eco-friendly activities.

19. Provide commuter benefits for employees who commute to work, encouraging the use of transportation with reduced emissions.

20. Offer professional development stipends to employees who aim to pursue advanced education in sustainability.

Align values with corporate policy

21. Incorporate climate mission into company vision and values to ensure employees are aligned with goals.

22. Partner with consultants to set and plan climate action plans.

23. Outline climate risks and potential business impact in annual reports.

24. Host town hall discussions that keep employees engaged with climate impact goals.

25. Develop annual climate impact reports detailing carbon emissions and resource usage.

26. Set key performance indicators (KPIs) for tracking company progress and impact.

27. Consider implementing four-day workweeks, particularly during warmer seasons which can reduce emissions by up to 20 percent.

Plan for the unexpected

28. Create an emergency protocol for extreme weather events, both for in-office and remote environments.

29. Leverage tools that analyze company business portfolio’s exposure to climate risk.

30. Establish emergency communication plans, ensuring that employees and leadership can receive critical updates in multiple forms of communication: Email, phone call, SMS, and push notifications in company communication apps.

31. Consider establishing a green initiative committee that prioritizes short- and long-term sustainability goals.

32. Conduct a thorough audit of insurance policies to ensure executives understand how climate risks in high-exposure markets may affect coverage and liabilities.

33. Proactively assess how weather-related events could impact policy terms, including potential premium increases.

34. Participate in scenario planning and develop specific preparedness plans for common weather events like floods, hurricanes, heatwaves, or wildfires.

Make more sustainable choices

35. Set annual goals to reduce emissions.

36. Partner with solar providers for renewable office power.

37. Ensure packaging used is 100 percent recyclable or biodegradable. 

38. Minimize non-essential air travel and encourage the use of virtual meetings in place of excessive travel.

39. Promote the use of trains or lower-emission transport for shorter travel.

40. Use green-certified hotels for business travel.

41. Donate office tech no longer needed to organizations that repurpose electronics sustainably.

42. Implement a paperless policy.

Reduce your office footprint

43. Educate employees about energy conservation through workshops.

44. Divert waste from landfills through recycling, reusing, and composting.

45. Replace HVAC systems with energy-efficient alternatives.

46. Install motion-activated lighting in office spaces.

47. Conduct energy audits and implement efficiency upgrades like installing LED lighting.

48. Upgrade to ENERGY STAR-certified office equipment, which uses up to 25 percent less energy. 

49. Create a zero-waste goal for company events.

50. Set water usage reduction goals with clear guidelines for employees.

51. Check and regularly seal windows and doors to prevent energy waste.

52. Install smart thermostats to optimize energy use.

53. Reduce employee heat stress by working to reduce humidity in the workplace, offering cool areas for employees to go, and providing optimal amounts of cool water accessibly.

Remote work with an eco-conscious mindset

54. Provide resources on energy-saving best practices for home offices.

55. Highlight green internet providers and recommend them to remote workers, even offering stipends to encourage the usage of these providers.

56. Suggest low-emission alternatives for home office upgrades, perhaps partnering with an office supply company or setting up a digital storefront with recommendations.

57. Limit non-essential video meetings to reduce data use and carbon emissions.

58. Reallocate office overhead savings to fund green initiatives.

59. Encourage employees to enable automatic power down on their office equipment.

Empower employees to act sustainably

60. Audit vendors annually for environmental impact compliance.

61. Install hydration stations and encourage employees to practice using reusable bottles in the workplace.

62. Ensure employees use suppliers and packing companies that commit to sustainable best practices.

63. Gamify employee participation in green initiatives by setting up a leaderboard.

64. Opt for digital documents and discourage use of printed materials.

65. Opt for sustainable options for employee swag.

66. Audit shipping practices to determine impact to carbon footprint, and set a goal to minimize.

67. Collaborate with eco-friendly logistics partners.

Activate change in the community

68. Sponsor local reforestation or conservation projects.

69. Partner with community groups to clean up streets, parks, neighborhoods, or beaches.

70. Sponsor school programs that teach environmental sustainability.

71. Provide employee-match donations for employee contributions to climate charities.

72. Collaborate with the local government on climate resilience programs.

73. Donate resources to help communities affected by climate disasters.

74. Provide grants for community-based green projects.

Explore new tech solutions

75. Consider artificial intelligence tools that can help monitor major climate disasters anticipated in the region.

76. Invest in resources that can predict climate-related risks to business operations to help your company prepare for next steps.

77. Leverage AI to help identify clean energy providers and quantify the impact of any new infrastructure projects.

78. Research and develop mindfulness plans around large language model usage, which require more energy usage than standard search engines.

79. Consider virtual reality as an alternative to traveling for meetings.

Be transparent

80. Use official platforms, like social media, to raise awareness about climate issues.

81. Highlight company contributions to environmental nonprofits.

82. Promote employee-led activism and provide resources to support them.

83. Develop a quarterly internal newsletter spotlighting company sustainability efforts.

84. Publicly track emissions reductions to build trust and hold your business accountable.

85. Advocate for local and national climate policies.

86. Offer thought leadership from business leads on sustainable best practices and the importance for businesses.

87. Join a campaign to phase out fossil fuels in your organization.

Educate your leadership

88. Join local or national industry-specific climate coalitions to network with other leaders who are working toward reaching similar goals.

89. Facilitate peer learning sessions or a mentorship program with sustainability experts.

90.  Invest in leadership training that educates executives on developing sustainability metrics and climate strategies. 

91. Join climate leadership programs outside of your industry designed to help train leaders on advocating for action.

92. Require board members and executive leadership teams to complete a sustainability certificate program.

93. Educate leadership on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the context of climate crises to deepen their understanding of its impact on underrepresented populations.

Prepare yourself to take action

94. Enroll in online courses that can provide an overview and actionable next steps on preparing business for climate risk.

95. Learn how to navigate difficult conversations about climate change.

96. Dedicate time to review case studies from businesses that have successfully integrated sustainability into their operations.

97. Attend webinars and virtual workshops about climate impact.

98. Learn how to build partnerships with nonprofits, government initiatives, and other companies that focus on climate impact.

99. Volunteer with environmental organizations to experience firsthand grassroots efforts.

100. Take personal accountability and demonstrate the same values at home.