Green Teams and Value: Engaging Employees in Meeting Sustainability Goals

In 2008, AltaTerra Research noted that green teams were becoming a new social trend at work. Now there is no question that they are a widespread phenomenon. Yet green teams have emerged in many different shapes and sizes. And surprisingly, they may not be officially connected to an organization’s full-time efficiency efforts, environmental management, or corporate responsibility. The story that is still developing is how green teams can most effectively contribute to an organization’s environmental goals. At their best, green teams engage employees, foster creativity and new ideas, are well connected, support sustainability goals, and produce meaningful results. Alternatively, green teams may struggle with identity and direction, limited results, and frustrated members. So, apart from being a popular trend, what value or return on investment can green teams actually help to deliver, and how are they best organized to do so? In this report, we provide a framework, based on six categories of green team activity and business contribution, for understanding how to define and deliver value. We outline key program success factors, including bidirectional communication, effective decision-making processes, organizational connectivity, maintaining enthusiasm, and measuring success. We describe how leading organizations are organizing around these key capabilities to create successful support structures for green team programs. We conclude with recommendations for action by green teams and leaders at functional and executive levels.

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In 2008, AltaTerra Research noted that green teams were becoming a new social trend at work. Now there is no question that they are a widespread phenomenon. Yet green teams have emerged in many different shapes and sizes. And surprisingly, they may not be officially connected to an organization’s full-time efficiency efforts, environmental management, or corporate responsibility. The story that is still developing is how green teams can most effectively contribute to an organization’s environmental goals. At their best, green teams engage employees, foster creativity and new ideas, are well connected, support sustainability goals, and produce meaningful results. Alternatively, green teams may struggle with identity and direction, limited results, and frustrated members. So, apart from being a popular trend, what value or return on investment can green teams actually help to deliver, and how are they best organized to do so? In this report, we provide a framework, based on six categories of green team activity and business contribution, for understanding how to define and deliver value. We outline key program success factors, including bidirectional communication, effective decision-making processes, organizational connectivity, maintaining enthusiasm, and measuring success. We describe how leading organizations are organizing around these key capabilities to create successful support structures for green team programs. We conclude with recommendations for action by green teams and leaders at functional and executive levels.