In our ongoing series on the four macro shifts reshaping the workplace, we’ve already explored Living on Screen and The AI Supercycle. Now, we turn our focus to another major transformation: the sustainability mindset.
A New Way of Working
Terms like net zero, circular economy, and embodied carbon are becoming part of daily work for more employees than ever before. Companies are setting ambitious sustainability goals, and achieving them requires a shift in both skills and mindset across entire organizations.
These goals are transforming work processes and workplace culture. To succeed, companies need workplaces that support collaboration and innovation, enabling employees to tackle these new challenges together.
A Sharp Rise in Sustainability Goals
Organizations worldwide are committing to carbon reduction targets at an unprecedented rate:
- The number of companies setting science-based carbon reduction targets doubled in the past year.
- Nearly 40% of the global economy is now represented by these commitments, according to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
- Sustainability-focused roles are growing rapidly—sustainability manager is now the fastest-growing job in the UK and Germany, and three of the top 10 fastest-growing jobs in the US are sustainability-related.
What Are Science-Based Targets?
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) helps companies set clear climate goals by defining how much and how quickly they need to reduce carbon emissions to limit climate change. Companies like Steelcase are using these targets to guide their sustainability strategies.
Building a Culture of Sustainability
For companies to meet their ambitious sustainability goals, they must embed sustainability into workplace culture. This means:
- Hiring for new sustainability-focused roles
- Providing learning opportunities to upskill existing employees
- Encouraging cross-functional collaboration to tackle sustainability challenges
- Designing workplaces that reflect sustainability commitments
The Workplace as a Reflection of Values
An organization’s workplace is a visible expression of its culture. To support sustainability goals, leaders should:
- Partner with companies that share similar environmental commitments.
- Invest in sustainable products and solutions that reduce carbon emissions.
- Design for adaptability, allowing spaces to evolve rather than be replaced.
A Learning Culture for a Net-Zero Future
Achieving net-zero emissions requires ongoing innovation in technology, materials science, and infrastructure. Since many of these solutions are still emerging, organizations must foster a culture of continuous learning. This includes:
- Creating spaces for both group and individual learning
- Upskilling employees to understand sustainability science and solutions
- Encouraging knowledge-sharing across teams and industries
Transparency, Shared Ownership, and Innovation
Sustainability goals touch every part of a business—from product development and procurement to HR and finance. Success requires clear communication and shared responsibility:
- Transparency: Make sustainability goals and progress visible to all employees.
- Distributed decision-making: Empower teams to take action and innovate within their areas.
- Cross-functional collaboration: Break down silos and encourage diverse perspectives to drive creative problem-solving.
Designing for Collaboration and Community
Sustainability is a collective effort. Workplaces should be designed to:
- Encourage collaboration through shared spaces and informal connections.
- Foster transparency by making sustainability progress visible on digital displays, whiteboards, or dashboards.
- Celebrate milestones and feedback, helping teams stay motivated and aligned.
Moving Forward Together
Sustainability is not a challenge that can be solved by any one person, team, or organization alone. But by designing workplaces that support learning, collaboration, and shared accountability, companies can accelerate progress toward a net-zero future while fostering innovation and resilience.
Stay tuned for the final article in this series, where we’ll explore the fourth major shift shaping the future of work.
*Research and article adapted from Steelcase
