According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity ... Every year, environmental factors take the lives of around 13 million people.”

Companies around the world are taking action to counter the effects of climate change. As WHO states, climate change will affect health. With health as your business, how does that translate into day-to-day action? How can you address climate change with worksite health promotion?

1. Integrate climate into your worksite wellness vision and mission.

• Update your wellness vision and mission to reflect your climate commitment. For example, you could change “The mission of the ABC Worksite wellness committee is to establish and maintain a worksite that encourages support for healthy lifestyles” to: “The mission of the ABC Worksite wellness committee … encourages support for healthy lifestyles and the environment.”
• For ideas on how to successfully encourage your workplace to implement a sustainability strategy, How to Activate Your Employer on Climate Change provides a framework for how employees can move their employer to take action.

2. Educate employees on the topic.

• Share Impact of Climate on Workers | NIOSH | CDC, which describes how employees may be negatively affected by climate change.
• Support employee resource or learning groups that focus on the climate. Since people often trust peers, co-workers, and family members more than experts or environmental organizations, providing information in a neutral setting may help start conversations that open people’s minds.
• For help getting employees on board with the need for action, Employee Engagement and Climate Change (environmentalleader.com) explains five key principles to help with engagement.
• Promote environmental holidays and how they link to climate change throughout the year. Find lists at A List of Environmental Holidays - World Atlas, Nature & Environment holidays in 2022 (holidayscalendar.com), and 2021-22 Calendar: Environmental Awareness Days of the Year (ituabsorbtech.com). 

3. Promote ideas that encourage climate-conscious actions.

• Offer an employee-of-the-month award for climate-friendly actions. Have employees submit photos of their green actions and choose one each month to recognize.
• Support purchases of climate-friendly home appliances. Create a mechanism for reimbursing employees for a portion of the purchase of items like smart thermostats, LED light bulbs, energy-efficient appliances, or climate-friendly cleaning products.
• Create monthly challenges for employees such as bike-instead-of-drive month or Meatless Monday menus. Include campaigns and resources for remote workers.
• Allow employees to work from home part- or full-time to reduce commuting.
• Implement Health@Work’s newest campaign, Power up with plants. This four-week challenge encourages your employees to eat more plant-based foods for personal and environmental health. Register here to get all the materials plus ideas for launching this campaign in your workplace. The coordinator training and discussion will be held online June 28, 2022, from 9-10:30 a.m.

The key to addressing climate change is to start somewhere. Providing education and opportunities for climate-friendly behaviors starts the effort and paves the way for action. If you’d like to learn about Hennepin County’s plan to address climate change, plus check out resources and information for residents, visit Hennepin County Climate Action.

Click here to read this month's E-tips for your employees: "Action for climate action" To share these E-tips with employees, you can:
• Email the E-tips document to your staff as an attachment. 1) Click the link to download and save the E-tips to your computer. 2) Add your organization's logo in the bottom left corner. 3) Then send it as an email attachment to staff.
• Print the document once you've added your organization's logo and post it in a common area in your workplace.
• Copy and paste the text into your organization's newsletter.

Wake up with wellness

APRIL 22 (past) | MAY 13 (past) | JUNE 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. CST

HealthSource Solutions' Wake Up with Wellness is a 3-part speaker series to recharge, connect, and grow health promotion advocates and leaders. Each session includes discussion and networking. $25 donation includes all 3 Zoom sessions and goes to Good in the 'Hood. Sessions will be recorded and posted to watch on-demand. Learn more & register here.

Missed last month's E-tips?

Click here to read last month's E-tips to learn about practicing appreciation and recognition at work.