In many countries, the winter holiday season is a time for celebration, reflection, and generosity. However, it’s also a time of increased consumption and waste, which can take a toll on the environment.
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, this time of the year is a perfect opportunity for your company to demonstrate commitment to sustainability and ESG principles. By integrating eco-friendly practices and thoughtful initiatives into your holiday plans, you can make a positive impact before the end of the year. Here are some of our favorite ways to celebrate a sustainable corporate Christmas responsibly this season.
Sustainable Holiday Decorations
One simple way to embrace sustainability during the holidays is by rethinking office decorations. Instead of disposable plastic ornaments, invest in reusable decorations made from sustainable materials such as wood, metal, or fabric. There are lots of options out there that can also be adapted to your corporate design!
They reduce waste and costs in the long run since you can store and reuse them every year.
Next, incorporate real greenery, like potted plants or responsibly sourced Christmas trees, which can be replanted after the holidays. If you do want to light them up, use energy-efficient LED lights and set timers to help reduce electricity consumption. This reduces both costs and emissions.
Eco-Friendly Office Parties
Your company’s holiday parties are fun, but event-driven environmental footprints are often large. So why not showcase some good ESG values this year?
Order catering from local vendors and prioritize plant-based or seasonal menus to lower your corporate carbon footprint. Meat production is one of the major drivers of human GHG emissions, after all! Moreover, reduce single-use items like plastic cups and utensils and encourage employees to bring their own mugs or reusable containers for beverages and leftovers.
Last but not least, ESG also means scoring high in terms of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)! Your employees should feel valued and treated fairly. This means selecting times and dates for your parties so that everyone can make it (think about parents with kids, for example), be easily accessible (if you celebrate at a venue) and ensuring a safe environment for everyone.
Sustainable Corporate Gifts
Handing out gifts to your employees?
Choose products from eco-conscious companies that focus on low-impact materials, ethical production, and minimal packaging. We are big fans of practical and sustainable gifts, such as reusable water bottles, zero-waste kits, plantable office calendars, or fair-trade coffee.
Remember that your company should also be strong in the social and governance departments. Instead of traditional gifts, consider giving experiences, such as workshop vouchers or donations to charitable causes. If you want to do good for the environment or your community, support tree-planting initiatives (also great as a team-building event), local charities, or other sustainable causes.
💡 Looking for sustainable corporate gifts? Let’s talk and find the perfect ones for you this year or the next!
Reduce Waste
The holiday season often brings with it a surge in waste. For example, did you know that in the UK alone, Christmas will produce an additional 12 million tonnes of plastic waste this year?
We’ve already looked at some ways to minimize this above. Use recyclable or compostable wrapping materials, or avoid wrapping altogether by using reusable gift bags or boxes. Digital greetings instead of paper ones are another effective way to cut back on waste while saving on postage.
A good way to promote the circular economy and recycling at the workplace is to set up clear recycling bins in your office for holiday-related waste.
Minimize Travel and Energy Use
Travel and energy use are significant contributors to a company’s holiday carbon footprint. While working from home is not possible in every profession, remote work during the quieter holiday season can reduce scope 3 commuting emissions and office energy consumption.
For employees who must travel, offer carbon offset options to help mitigate their impact. Offices can further conserve energy by turning off non-essential devices and adjusting thermostats when spaces are unoccupied during the holidays.
Employee Engagement in ESG Initiatives
Sustainability only works if everyone is involved! Organize team volunteering at local charities or environmental clean-up events as part of your holiday activities. Motivate employees to participate in eco-friendly initiatives, such as using public transportation, reducing food waste, or shopping sustainably.
Host a workshop or share tips on sustainable practices at home, such as reducing energy use or recycling holiday materials.
Make ESG Visible
As usual, share your action with the public to further engage your stakeholders. Publicly communicate your sustainability initiatives during the holiday season through social media, newsletters, or your company website. and highlight the impact of your efforts to inspire others.
However, do not fall into the trap of greenwashing by making your company appear more ESG-performant than it really is! That’s a sure way of losing your employees’ and customers’ trust quickly.
Plan for the New Year
Sustainability does not care about the date. Use the holiday season as a time to review your current ESG performance and set actionable goals for the upcoming year with your Chief Sustainability Officer.
The best way to get started is to gather feedback from employees and stakeholders about your holiday initiatives to improve your future efforts. If you have the chance, ask your customers what they suggest through short surveys or by talking to them directly.
If you know you will need to start or continue to report carbon emissions and ESG scores with a sustainability report, check out Reegy’s ESG platform to make this simpler!
Sustainability matters
By implementing sustainable and ESG-conscious measures over Christmas, your company not only reduces its environmental impact but also strengthens its reputation as a responsible business.
Talk to us if you want to take sustainability and climate action today!
Reegy is a complete software solution for ESG & Carbon Footprint Management. Our Reegy Eco Hub enables enterprises, financial institutions and governmental organizations to manage their climate action in one central location along the entire value chain. Track, measure, reduce, and offset your carbon emissions, disclose them to regulators, stakeholders, and customers and lead your company to Net Zero on autopilot!