Management and supervisors play a crucial role in how successfully an organization reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Their decisions guide the use of resources, procurements, and ways of working. At the same time, they are shaping a culture in which working towards carbon neutrality becomes a natural part of everyday life rather than a separate project. The power of example is strong: trust is built when management acts responsibly, sets clear goals, and communicates about them openly. Seeing an example encourages the employees to commit. However, it is unfortunate if the management communicates one thing but does another.
The role of management is not limited to strategic decisions. They can also influence many everyday choices in the parishes, such as travel practices, event organisation, and procurement criteria. The emission reductions planned in the carbon neutrality roadmap will be implemented and will in some way affect all parish and shared service operations. Because the “parish train” is always moving, it is important that the pace and methods of change are adapted to the operations, and that the participants are given sufficient resources for the journey.
Climate issues can also bring up a variety of emotions. In the following video, Heidi Granström from Malmi Parish explains how the issue has been addressed with young people. The video is 2:01 minutes long.
Every supervisor has the opportunity to advance carbon neutrality goals within their team, for example, by supporting remote work, favoring low-emission solutions, and making even small impactful actions visible. When climate work is integrated into leadership and everyday work, the organization can progress towards its goals consistently and credibly. Consider including climate goals for example in team meetings – and why not include them in performance reviews as well.
In addition, we use environmental impact assessments for all decisions. Decisions made by the parishes are often ones that are returned to years or even decades later, so it is worth it to carefully document the justifications and consider the potential impacts!
Communication highlights the importance of emission reductions and the ways of achieving them
Communication plays an important role in climate work and reducing emissions. It helps people understand why mitigating climate change is important and what we can all do about it. When information is clearly worded, people, communities, and organizations are more excited to take climate action. For example, clear instructions on how to adjust the temperature of your office or how to sort waste correctly will directly reduce the energy consumption and waste generation of the facilities. In this way, communication is translated directly into measurable savings.
Read more! (In Finnish)
What kind of carbon neutrality communication is needed in the parishes?
The carbon neutrality work has highlighted the need to develop communication on environmental issues: based on a survey conducted for the roadmap (in Finnish), a large proportion of the respondents were willing to commit to improving communication. Communication should not be left solely to the environmental working group or the communications team. We all communicate about these issues. When the entire working community participates, we can better ensure that the communication is backed by real actions. When everyone communicates in their own way, we strengthen the message beyond what any single unit or part of the organization could achieve on its own.
Increasing and targeting communication is important both internally and externally, as carbon neutrality actions are needed extensively. By sharing the work we are doing, we also set an example for the wider society.
The survey highlighted a need for clear guidelines and goals, as well as for developing employees’ skills and competence. In addition, the importance of active communication in languages other than Finnish and Swedish was emphasized.
For communication to be succesfull, it is essential to identify the key target groups (both internal and external) to and between whom communication is directed. After this, suitable communication channels and methods should be selected to reach these groups most effectively. When engaging parishioners, the physical environment is particularly important.
Concrete tips for communication:
- Identify audiences and channels
- Consider who the communication is directed at and how the groups can be reached.
- Choose suitable channels: websites, internal bulletins, lobby screens, guideline documents.
- Make communication concrete and understandable
- Be clear about what needs to be done and why it is important.
- Avoid only abstract information or the use of passive verbs – show specific examples (e.g. “Turn off the lights, you will save energy and reduce emissions”).
- Encourage sustainable activities
- Create a positive tone: “This is how we reduce emissions together.”
- Communication is not just about informing – it can be used to motivate both employees and users of the facilities.
It is advisable to include a clear instructional sentence in the message along with the reasoning behind why the action is recommended. Here ar examples of concrete, simple messages for promoting environmental issues:
- Take only as many servings as you can eat. This is how you help us reduce food waste.
- Come to the property by bike, on foot, or by public transport. This reduces emissions from mobility and helps avoid traffic. If needed, the building provides shower facilities and a safe place to store your bicycle.
- Sort your waste. This promotes recycling, reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills, and lowers the costs related to the collection of mixed waste.
At the end of this section, you can listen to what Elina Törrösen has to say about the importance of using waste in employment activities. The video is 2:56 minutes long.