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.
Shifting Skills and Culture
Terms like net zero, circular economy, and embodied carbon are becoming part of daily work for more employees than ever. Companies are setting ambitious sustainability goals, and reaching them requires a change in both mindset and skills across entire organizations.
These goals are transforming work processes and culture. To succeed, organizations need environments that foster collaboration and innovation—spaces where employees can tackle new challenges together.
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.
The Surge in Sustainability Commitments
Organizations worldwide are committing to carbon reduction targets at an unprecedented rate:
The number of companies setting science-based carbon reduction targets has 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-related roles are growing quickly. In fact, “sustainability manager” is now the fastest-growing job in the UK and Germany, and three of the top 10 fastest-growing jobs in the U.S. are focused on sustainability.
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.
Embedding Sustainability in Workplace Culture
To meet these goals, green practices must be embedded in workplace culture. This includes:
Hiring for sustainability-focused roles
Upskilling employees through ongoing learning
Encouraging collaboration across departments
Designing workplaces that reflect environmental values
The Workplace as a Reflection of Values
A company’s workplace is a visible expression of its culture. Leaders can support eco-conscious goals by:
Partnering with environmentally responsible vendors
Investing in low-impact products and solutions
Designing flexible spaces that evolve rather than get replaced
Supporting a Culture of Learning
Achieving net-zero emissions demands continuous innovation. Because many sustainable solutions are still emerging, businesses must prioritize learning by:
Offering spaces for team learning and self-guided study
Teaching employees the science behind sustainability
Promoting knowledge-sharing across teams and industries
Building Ownership and Innovation
Sustainability goals affect every part of a business. Success requires:
Transparency: Make goals and progress visible to all
Shared ownership: Empower teams to take meaningful action
Cross-functional collaboration: Break down silos and encourage fresh ideas
Designing for Collective Effort
Sustainability is a team sport. Workplaces should:
Promote collaboration through open, flexible spaces
Make sustainability progress easy to see through displays or dashboards
Celebrate milestones and encourage feedback to stay aligned and motivated
Moving Forward Together
No single person or department can solve sustainability alone. But by designing work environments that support learning, collaboration, and shared responsibility, 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 macro shift shaping the future of work.
Research and article adapted from Steelcase.
