REVISION NOTES
A PILOT TO END FLIGHT SHAME
WHAT IS FLIGHT SHAME? Flight shame, or ‘Flygskam’, was
coined by Swedish singer-songwriter Staffan Lindberg in 2017 to describe the feeling you get when you take a flight whilst knowing the detrimental impact it has on the environment.
HOWBAD IS FLYING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?
Very. It is the fastest-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions globally and the carbon produced by one return flight from London to Berlin amounts to the same as 13 return train journeys.
RIGHT - BUT WHAT’S THIS GOT TO DO WITH EMPLOYERS?
More than four in five people are said to be concerned or very concerned about climate change, and people don’t stop worrying about climate change just because they’re at work. In fact, studies show that people
prefer working for companies who have a good environmental record. Nearly 40 per cent of millennials said they had chosen a job in the past because the company performed better on sustainability than the alternative, according to a survey conducted by clean energy platform Swytch. Research from climate charity
Possible also found that 50 per cent of 48
18 to 44-year-olds would rather work for an employer that helps them to take clean travel on holiday.
OKAY, I’M LISTENING.WHAT CANWEDOTOHELP? One of the biggest barriers
to travelling sustainably is time: no one wants to use up holidays just to get there, and flying is temptingly quick. With no technological solutions to flying on the horizon, behaviour change is currently the only way to make a difference. Climate Perks, a new pilot scheme
from climate charity Possible, asks employers to give staff two extra travel days, conditional on them choosing not to fly.
UM-WHAT? ISN’T THERE A COST TOTHAT FORUS? The scheme is still in its
pilot phase, but at first glance, Possible expects the benefits to outweigh the costs. The point of the perk is to be flexible for both employers and employees, to offer as many people as possible the chance to travel sustainably. One company already on the trial has
offered the option to swap volunteering days for journey days. Possible also points out that, given the nature of employee perks, not every employee will use them. But those who do will really appreciate it.
TELLMEMOREABOUT THESE BENEFITS. As well as helping to mitigate
climate catastrophe, Possible anticipates the scheme will improve employee wellbeing, improve company reputations and ultimately help with recruitment, especially as millennials begin to make up the majority of the workforce. Emma Kemp, campaigns and
fundraising manager for Possible, says: ‘We know that younger people particularly are really keen to work with employers who are hot on environmental stuff. This is a really meaningful way to do that that goes beyond the standards of having a recycling bin and switching off your lights at night.’
HOWCANI JOIN THE PILOT? The pilot is free to join via the Climate Perks website.
Companies, big or small, can sign up to receive specialist support from Possible, including advice on how to implement the scheme, how to gain buy-in from leadership and how to promote it among employees. Founding members of the scheme include architecture firm Bennetts Associates, marketing agency BrandContent and environmental charity Friends of the Earth. Companies who join the pilot also have
the opportunity to shape its direction by providing Possible with feedback on what works and what doesn’t. CC
CorpComms | February/March 2020
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
