The environment tops Canadians' list of priorities
In the early 1970s, Kermit the Frog famously opined that “it’s not easy being green.” While he was singing the blues about his skin colour, Kermit would likely be crooning a very different tune today if he were talking about the environment.
That’s because an unprecedented wave of eco-mania is sweeping the planet that makes it very easy, popular and profitable to be green. Obvious signs of climate change, a staggering amount of scientific evidence and pop culture — led by the surprising success of Al Gore’s Oscar-winning An Inconvenient Truth — have combined to bring the environment to the top of the agenda. According to a CTV News/Globe and Mail poll conducted in January, more than 25 per cent of Canadians listed the environment as the top issue facing the country, edging out health care for the first time. That’s a stunning leap from just one year ago, when environment came in at only four per cent.
So what does this mean for employers and HR practices? Quite a bit. Being green is transforming from a fringe issue, talked about by many but practiced by few, to a significant competitive advantage.
As the labour supply shrinks, workers will have the ability to pick and choose where they work. Employers with a proven track record on the environment are going to have an edge in landing top talent.
Michael Adams, president of research firm Environics, was bang on when he said, on page 11 of this issue, that workers don’t want to go home and apologize to their children about where they work and what they do for a living. Everything else being equal, workers are going to choose an environmentally friendly firm. Even if compensation and benefits aren’t equal, the eco-friendly firm might have a leg up.
There’s also a significant cost savings to going green. Energy costs are soaring on almost every front. Anything that can be done to reign in consumption is going to have a noticeable impact on the bottom line. There’s a lot employers can do on this front. With that in mind, Canadian HR Reporter is putting together a special feature in the April 9 issue with tips on how employers can save money, and save their employees money, with environmentally friendly workplace practices. We’ll also have complete coverage of Al Gore’s presentation at the Top 100 Employers conference in Toronto.
Some might argue the green movement is a passing fad, that the environment is simply the latest flavour-of-the-month initiative that will soon disappear from the public consciousness. But this feels different. In the past, the environmental movement was largely driven by a vocal minority that lacked mainstream credibility. But the new movement is very mainstream, and much more encompassing.
In the early 1970s, Kermit was right. It wasn’t easy being green. But it’s not that hard anymore.
That’s because an unprecedented wave of eco-mania is sweeping the planet that makes it very easy, popular and profitable to be green. Obvious signs of climate change, a staggering amount of scientific evidence and pop culture — led by the surprising success of Al Gore’s Oscar-winning An Inconvenient Truth — have combined to bring the environment to the top of the agenda. According to a CTV News/Globe and Mail poll conducted in January, more than 25 per cent of Canadians listed the environment as the top issue facing the country, edging out health care for the first time. That’s a stunning leap from just one year ago, when environment came in at only four per cent.
So what does this mean for employers and HR practices? Quite a bit. Being green is transforming from a fringe issue, talked about by many but practiced by few, to a significant competitive advantage.
As the labour supply shrinks, workers will have the ability to pick and choose where they work. Employers with a proven track record on the environment are going to have an edge in landing top talent.
Michael Adams, president of research firm Environics, was bang on when he said, on page 11 of this issue, that workers don’t want to go home and apologize to their children about where they work and what they do for a living. Everything else being equal, workers are going to choose an environmentally friendly firm. Even if compensation and benefits aren’t equal, the eco-friendly firm might have a leg up.
There’s also a significant cost savings to going green. Energy costs are soaring on almost every front. Anything that can be done to reign in consumption is going to have a noticeable impact on the bottom line. There’s a lot employers can do on this front. With that in mind, Canadian HR Reporter is putting together a special feature in the April 9 issue with tips on how employers can save money, and save their employees money, with environmentally friendly workplace practices. We’ll also have complete coverage of Al Gore’s presentation at the Top 100 Employers conference in Toronto.
Some might argue the green movement is a passing fad, that the environment is simply the latest flavour-of-the-month initiative that will soon disappear from the public consciousness. But this feels different. In the past, the environmental movement was largely driven by a vocal minority that lacked mainstream credibility. But the new movement is very mainstream, and much more encompassing.
In the early 1970s, Kermit was right. It wasn’t easy being green. But it’s not that hard anymore.
