How to engage your teams in the ecological transition?

Engaging in the ecological transition is not only based on a CSR roadmap or carbon offsetting. Real change comes from within: teams that are involved, motivated, and actors in transformation. But how do you get everyone involved in this essential shift?

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1. Why is involving your teams crucial?

The ecological transition cannot be a top-down topic. A convinced management but a disconnected team, and the “greenwashing” effect is guaranteed.

The numbers speak for themselves: According to a BVA survey, 82% of employees expect their company to be genuinely committed to the environment, but only 29% feel that they are involved in the initiatives.

Why involve your teams?

• To align the values of the company and those of the employees
• To move from intention to concrete action
• To bring out solutions from the field

2. Creating a common base of understanding

Before acting, you need to understand. Climate literacy remains low, even in businesses that are aware of it.

Actions to be put in place:

• Organize awareness-raising workshops such as the Climate Fresque, or 2 tons
• Involve experts during plenaries or lunch debates
• Democratize the subject with fun formats (quizzes, internal podcasts, etc.)

Example: at Decathlon, more than 15,000 employees participated in a Climate Fresco. A massive, but above all, structuring approach to the emergence of a common culture.

3. Identify the right engagement levers

Not all employees react to the same stimuli. Some want concrete, others inspiration, others still others recognition.

Lever 1: Give meaning

• Show how their daily actions have a real impact
• Sharing the company's decarbonization goals

Lever 2: Offer leeway

• Create transversal working groups on CSR topics
• Launch calls for ideas on concrete issues

Lever 3: Valuing actions

• Highlight internal initiatives (via newsletter, intranet, social networks)
• Celebrating successes, even modest ones

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4. Integrating ecology into the daily lives of employees

Commitment should not be an extra, but a reflex. This means reconsidering certain daily practices.

On professional practices:

• Eco-design your products or services
• Decarbonize your trips (soft mobility, video, etc.)
• Reduce your digital footprint (via responsible tools, cf. our support with Merci Paulo)

On office life:

• Better manage waste (recycling, compost, etc.)
• Opt for a green energy supplier
• Offer responsible catering (local, plant-based)

5. ^Measure, value, adjust: management in the service of commitment

Commitment is not driven by instinct. It can be measured, tested, improved.

Some useful KPIs:

• Number of employees trained or sensitized
• Participation in internal actions
• Emerging ideas or projects

Useful tools: internal barometers, anonymous questionnaires, group interviews, or even Sami's climate impact barometer.

Don't forget: Take the time to provide collective feedback, adjust the roadmap, and show that every idea counts.

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