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Fadrina Hasler, 25, is studying for a master’s degree in psychology and can dream of working in companies such as Nikin or Unilever after her studies. However, she did not accept a job at Shell or Nestlé. How come? “For me, sustainability is too important to work for a company that has a bad impact on the environment,” she says. It is important for him to stand behind his work.
What Fadrina Hasler is doing is called “climate abandonment,” and it’s a trend that’s slowly starting to spread in the business world. It’s already hit Linkedin. There are people out there who declare that they are quitting or not accepting jobs because of their values.
An example of this is Sarah Nicholas from Geneva, who had a job in her pocket after studying advertising and marketing communications, but decided not to take it. In a post on Linkedin he writes:
“Sustainability has always been a core value for me, and as fascinating as the world of advertising is, it doesn’t feel right to be marketing products we don’t actually need, many of which cause great harm to the environment.” He later founded a digital agency, Manakin Regenerative, to help companies with content marketing and show how sustainability can lead to customer acquisition and added value to their products.
Trend explained
So what exactly does “giving up on climate” mean? So, does it exist outside of the Linkedin bubble?
“Climate abandonment” is when employees quit their jobs or do not even get a job because they cannot identify with the employer’s climate and environmental strategy. Sometimes such a strategy may not even exist. This is what happens when the company harms the climate rather than doing something about the climate crisis.
Strategy around ESG
One part of the current strategy that is welcomed by “climate quitters” is ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance). These are the framework conditions and criteria for taking into account environmental, sustainability and social issues within a company. A study by KPMG in the UK shows the importance of ESG and how it can impact the labor market.
Almost one in two (46 per cent) of around 6,000 UK adult office workers, students, interns, graduates and university graduates would like the company they work for to be ESG committed. And one in five have turned down a job because the company’s environmental commitment did not align with their values.
The study was commissioned by KPMG, a global accounting and consulting firm with offices in Switzerland. A survey of more than 5,700 adults was conducted in the UK between 7-17 October 2022. The survey included British office workers, students, apprentices and those who had completed higher education within the last six months. Participants were asked about their views on the labor market and their expectations from potential employers. More than 1,000 school graduates were among the participants.
The study was commissioned by KPMG, a global accounting and consulting firm with offices in Switzerland. A survey of more than 5,700 adults was conducted in the UK between 7-17 October 2022. The survey included British office workers, students, apprentices and those who had completed higher education within the last six months. Participants were asked about their views on the labor market and their expectations from potential employers. More than 1,000 school graduates were among the participants.
The study also showed that respondents aged 25 to 34 were most likely to value the company’s ESG commitment. The 18-24 and 35-44 age categories were not far behind.
Strong in youth
Last year, American business magazine Forbes published an analysis showing that Generation Y will make up 75 percent of the working population by 2025. These are people born approximately between 1980 and 1995. They and their Generation Z successors are particularly concerned about the environment and climate.
Commenting on the Forbes analysis, the head of ESG at KPMG in the UK says: “The direction of travel for companies is clear. “By 2025, 75 percent of the working population will be millennials, which means they need to have credible ESG plans in place if they want to continue attracting and retaining this growing talent group.”
The difference between “Unmuting”
The term “giving up on climate” is reminiscent of the slogan “giving up quietly.” “Quiet quitting” is a term that came onto the scene a few years ago. It was discussed extensively on social media. But unlike “Exiting the Climate,” “Quitting Quietly” does not necessarily mean termination. It’s more about working for the salary. If there is not enough gratitude from the boss and employees do not see the meaning of their work, they will work exactly as much as stated in the employment contract and no longer work.
These two trends have something in common: they primarily affect young people from generations Y and Z and revolve around the personal values of employees.
Tom Lakin, senior innovation manager at human resources consultancy Robert Walters, summed it up aptly in his Linkedin post titled “Leaving the Climate”:
«The pandemic has caused workers to ask themselves some simple but important questions: Do I want to commute to work every day? What does my job mean beyond my salary? Does my job have meaning? “Many of these questions have caused millions of people to quit their jobs,” he writes.
«The questions people ask themselves in 2023 are an extension of these questions: Do I want to work for a company that does not care about the environment? Do I want to work for a diverse company? “Do I want to work for a company that doesn’t pay its fair share of taxes?”
view of switzerland
“Climate abandonment” is already firmly established in Switzerland, says lecturer Lukas Weiss, an expert on socio-ecological and social transformation. “If companies want their employees to identify with the company and the work they do, then they need to champion the values their employees share,” he says.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of companies adapting to trends such as “quiet abandonment” and “climate abandonment”: “Companies that do not adapt to society’s evolution towards greater environmental awareness will be forced to watch their most committed employees being poached by more progressive companies, or simply announce it.” Current skilled Labor shortages will worsen this situation.
“We are increasingly hearing statements, especially from young people, that they would rather not work at all than have to accept a job that does not align with their values,” Weiss explains. moment.
Lukas Weiss is a qualified educator. In 2017, he received specialized training on social-ecological and social transformation at the European University of Flensburg (D). He was the initiator of the Biel Future Forum and chair of the Swissaid project development workshops for Switzerland.
Lukas Weiss is a qualified educator. In 2017, he received specialized training on social-ecological and social transformation at the European University of Flensburg (D). He was the initiator of the Biel Future Forum and chair of the Swissaid project development workshops for Switzerland.
On what companies can do to retain employees, Weiss says: “A credible climate and energy strategy combined with concrete measures will definitely help here. Other elements such as overall corporate culture, employment conditions, and team dynamics also play a role. Companies today face challenges on many levels.”
The speaker also touches upon the importance of ESG orientation for companies: “Today’s company and corporate management must orient themselves towards ESG so that yesterday’s news is not tomorrow’s news.”
Opportunities for companies
Do trends like “climate abandonment” have a long-term impact on business? Weiss emphasizes that the pressure on companies will increase as the consequences of climate change become visible in Switzerland.
He sees it as an opportunity for companies that leave climate change early to take measures to retain their employees and involve them in the necessary innovation process.
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
