Recently, I had an opportunity to attend a thesis defence for a master’s student. The research was themed around the effects of global warming on farming in the Mt Kenya region.
Initially, it seemed like just an ordinary defence. However, when the student began to show satellite photos taken over the years showing how the snow on Mt Kenya has been declining gradually, and relating this to the turning of rivers from colourless to brown, drying of rivers and related conflicts, it dawned on me that indeed global warming is a reality.
While the professors in the room argued and counter-argued over smaller figures, to a layperson like me, the satellite photos were enough to convince me that something has to change.
Despite the scientific evidence, climate change has been entangled in a web of misinformation and controversies. In the midst, is a distinct group termed climate deniers. These are people who challenge the scientific evidence and consensus regarding climate change.
The contrarian of climate deniers hails from diverse fields that span the realms of religion, media, politics, and even the scientific community itself. Their beliefs range from direct denial that climate change exists to a reluctant acceptance that it occurs, albeit with twisted arguments.
They even deny that climate change is a byproduct of activities by human beings. This perspective is in contrast with the overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change is a reality, mainly arising from human activities, and a threat to our survival.
At the centre of the climate crisis are organisations. Here, organisations mean organised individuals at family, national or multinational levels to achieve certain objectives. From the Agrarian Revolution to the Industrial Revolution to the Information Age and now the Big Data Age, organisations have one common denominator – contributors to greenhouse emissions and by extension the depletion of the ozone layer.
Global temperatures are getting hotter. Berkeley Earth, a non-profit group in California, posits that July 2023 had shattering records that stretch to 1850, as the hottest month ever with an average global temperature of 1.54°C above pre-industrial average. Unless organisations support the scientific consensus through actions, things will soon get out of control.
Human resource professionals are better placed to support this scientific consensus within organisations. While HRs cannot be experts on everything, they need to collaborate with climate change experts in creating sustainable policies for their organisations.
As we met with the student later after successfully defending her thesis, she informed me that some of the sustainability policies range from energy consumption, waste reduction, sustainable procurement, mitigation of carbon footprint, printing when really necessary, using natural light in the day as opposed to electricity light, and more. The policies ensure that the organisation adopts a culture of environmental stewardship.
Climate deniers have no place in organisations. HR can ensure that only environmental-conscious individuals who are eco-friendly to the organisation’s goals are hired. Alongside experts, HR can organise environmental sustainable trainings, workshops and campaigns to foster employee attainment of environmental consciousness.
In addition, HR should take up an additional role of monitoring and reporting of organisation’s efforts on sustainability metrics. This is achieved by tracking key performance indicators such as waste generation, energy usage, water consumption and greenhouse gas emission.
HR can then identify areas of improvement and measure attainability progress over time, with accurate and transparent reporting to foster accountability and sustainability. Additionally, employee performance contracting targets must now include environmental sustainability goals.
These efforts by HR are what is termed the HR green revolution and are supported by much scientific evidence. As the world gathers in the United Arab Emirates for the Climate Change Conference COP28, there is need to shift from mere declarations to practical policy implementations at organisational level.
Indeed, as the student's research findings reveal, we in Kenya only need to face Mt Kenya to add steam to the much-needed green revolution.
Certified Human Resource professional. [email protected]
