Earth Day wasn’t just for one-time announcements by big corporates. Here’s what you can do too.

Every day is Earth day.

Consumers are demanding credible corporate commitments. It’s time to make that happen.

Every year, the lead-up to Earth Day sees more and more statements from country leaders and companies sharing their commitments to the environment. It can be hard to see if they are contributing to the awareness of global issues with statements grounded in tangible action, or if they are merely taking advantage of environmental hype with well timed marketing messages.

But the reality is that, no matter how well intentioned a company’s commitment is, any successful attempts to tackle climate change require EVERYONE. That's you and me.

So what can we, as mere citizens, do to ensure we can play a key role?

Firstly, we can act. 

There are signals that behaviour change is afoot. While we may not have reached a full tipping point, there are indicators that we are moving in the right direction. More of us are separating and pre-cleaning our recycling and thinking about where our food comes from and how sustainable our diet is. 

As I got to the till in a supermarket last summer and asked, sheepishly, for a plastic bag I was greeted with an audible “tut tut” behind me. The times they are a-changin’. 

While these may seem like small, marginal actions, they add up and these little behavior changes can have a trickle-up effect to our values.

At times it might feel like there is unreasonable pressure to live a holier than thou lifestyle, but the truth is that it’s not possible and it’s far better to have millions of people doing sustainability imperfectly, than a handful of purist ideologists making everyone feel guilty.

Secondly, we can make a difference through our work.

Change is not just about what we do at home. Who we work for, and how we work for them makes a difference. When we have a choice, do we choose an employer based on whether they are making the world a better place?

The evidence shows that the millennial generation increasingly are, and that climate is especially important to them. Polling shows that 18 to 24 year olds are the only age bracket that consider “improving the environment” as more important than “paying staff well”. 

Encouragingly, this younger generation are not losing their passion for businesses to make a difference. 53% of business leaders under the age of 35 think the purpose of business is to find profitable solutions to the problems of people and planet, compared with just 36% who thought it was to maximise returns to shareholders. This belief in the businesses making a difference drops as leaders get older to 36% for over 55 year olds. 

Finally, we make a difference through how we spend and invest our money. 

Just as we are all citizens and employees, we are also customers and investors too. Even if you are consciously trying to buy and consume less, you still need to consume. So how do you consume wisely? Is it possible to see through the marketing smoke and tell if the organic cotton wasn’t stitched together by children? Do you know if farmers were paid a fair price for the cocoa beans in that chocolate bar you are eating?

The truth is that it is hard, but it’s important we try.

If it comforts you, as you struggle to work out the truth behind the companies you buy from, you are not alone. Just one in ten people could identify companies doing good versus those just talking about it.

The same difficulties are faced by institutional investors that are the custodians of your pensions. Yet with the recent example of major institutional investors deciding not to back Deliveroo over it’s workforce practices, there are signs that the finance world is trying to change too.

And so…

All of these issues are intrinsically linked to business, and largely to do with being able to find and trust responsible and purpose-driven companies. Imagine if this was easy to identify businesses that were deliberately trying to contribute positively to society and the planet as part of their business model, and to minimise any negative impacts. 

At ReGenerate, we’re working closely with business leaders and experts to make this happen.

The truth is, not all businesses are bad. There are many businesses attempting to make the world a better place as they make money. Anglian Water have deliberately created jobs in an area that needed them, Octopus Energy provide nearly 40% of the UK’s large scale solar generation, while Timpson provide jobs for people who have struggled with homelessness or due to a criminal record. I could go on.

So while Biden and Boris, Merkel and Macron, and all other political leaders will need to step up this summer, they cannot tackle climate change alone. They will need businesses to step up. And they will need us too.

While it is still hard to know the true impact of companies on society and the planet, we know more than now we ever did in the past. And we can use this knowledge to make our difference, as imperfect as it may be.

We can choose to do nothing. But should we?