This week, a record-setting heat wave is baking the United Kingdom and Europe, already linked to hundreds of deaths. The heat wave is said to be virtually impossible without human-caused climate change. Every year, predictions of climate change impacts are being realized around the world, with devastating consequences and the ringing of alarm bells. In the context of another summer of record setting heat, we are pleased that our list of participating Climate+ Challenge courses is longer than ever. With 37 courses signed up and counting, momentum is building at KPU to integrate the climate emergency into courses across disciplines and to embed it into our culture and pedagogy.

Climate change is no longer an abstract phenomenon that affects crops and vulnerable ecosystems – more and more we are seeing how it impacts us all as individuals in our homes and in our work places. Businesses are noticing, too. This fall, we are excited that KPU instructor Monica Affleck has enrolled two Human Resources Management courses into our Climate+ Challenge: HRMT 4155 Leadership and HR Consulting and BUSI 1250 Human Resources Management. Climate change is becoming so important in our day-to-day lives that it is also becoming a central theme even in seemingly unrelated courses and disciplines. In this blog post, Monica shares with us how and why climate change matters in HR, and what students can expect to learn about that intersection in her fall HR courses.

Global Climate Consciousness and the Workplace

By Monica Affleck, Instructor, KPU School of Business

You might ask yourself: What is the role of HR in tackling climate change? And I would say: a very important one!

Alarm bells are going off for many organizations. Floods, wildfires, heat domes and rising land/ocean temperatures have become topics of conversation at work. Climate change affects everyone and everything; and increasingly, organizations see the need to adopt environmental strategies.

Post-pandemic, companies are rethinking how, where and when work gets done – not only to respond to societal expectations but also to attract and retain key talent.

It is estimated that by 2029, 72% of the global workforce will be made up of Millennials and Gen Zrs who are generally more interested in the environment and want to work for organizations with a clear mandate on social and environmental justice¹.

But it’s not only about talent. HR is at the core of redefining business practices to help organizations take action and respond proactively to the climate crisis.

What is HR’s climate agenda?

HR can (and must) play a strategic role in integrating climate action into organizational and people strategies.

Here is how:

• Partner with leadership: Getting senior management support is critical to building an organizational culture committed to climate action.
• Vision/purpose/values: Embed sustainability objectives in the organization’s long and short-term goals. This then informs people, technology and budgetary planning so that achieving these objectives become a reality.
• Appeal to the workforce: Anchor climate objectives in the Employee Value Proposition (EVP). This means clearly communicating the organization’s commitment to reducing its impact on the environment. This will attract candidates and appeal to current employees who care about the planet and want to make a difference.
• Make it real: To make it a day-to-day employee experience, sustainability objectives and desired outcomes need to be incorporated into company policies/processes and core HR functions such as recruitment and selection, employee development, performance management, total rewards and employee wellness. This shows that the organization is willing to walk its “environment” talk.
• Measure it: Implement climate-related performance indicators so that progress can be measured and success rewarded.

What students will learn:

HR students in HRMT 5130, 4155, and BUSI 1250 are introduced to these ideas through:

• exploring the UNSDGs,
• learning about ecological intelligence,
• developing a corporate social responsibility plan for an organization, and
• learning about HR’s required leadership competencies to help develop organizations’ CSR strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change on the workplace.

Source:

¹ https://www.sorwe.com/en/blog/hr-strategy-and-climate-change