Earth Day Tips for 2023: Projects and Initiatives for Businesses
Held annually on April 22nd, Earth Day is a worldwide event that raises public awareness and encourages individuals, companies, communities and whole nations to participate in environmental protection activities. The international celebration is an excellent opportunity for companies to reflect on their environmental and social responsibility, and support and work with organizations that are explicitly involved in protecting and restoring the planet. These are worthy efforts to make on Earth Day but of course it is also critical that Earth Day employee engagement is undertaken year-round to be a truly green company. This article will discuss what Earth Day employee engagement looks like and some specific community outreach activities taken from Green Business Bureau’s collection of over 400 green initiatives.
Earth Day Ideas for April 22nd, 2023
When we think about environmental awareness days, Earth Day is the first to come to mind for most of us. The Earth Day movement, first launched on April 22nd 1970, has sparked worldwide activism to bring awareness to environmental injustices and fight threats against the wellbeing of our planet and vulnerable communities.
Get involved this Earth Day by:
- Taking action through the Billion Acts of Green initiative
- Joining a cleanup near you
- Showing an environmental documentary at work with a group discussion at the end
- Becoming a greener business through a third-party sustainability certification
- Supporting your community gardens, nonprofits and small businesses
- Upgrading to energy and resource efficient appliances and equipment
- Adopting sustainable practices involving energy and water usage, green procurement and sustainable sourcing, and greener transportation methods.
- Educate yourself on the groups hit hardest by environmental issues and the young activists leading the charge around the world.
How Businesses Can Embody Earth Day All Year in 2023
While it is a worthy ambition for do-good companies to organize special Earth Day activities, it is critical to embody the principles of Earth Day throughout the year. Companies may find Earth Day or the month of April are the perfect time to reevaluate their current environmental impact and progress, revisit any goals left to fulfill and refresh their commitment. This is also an opportunity to be transparent to your employees and stakeholders to show what you have actually accomplished and the plans you have for moving forward.
What a year-long commitment to Earth Day looks like
- Designate Earth Day as the date you release your annual sustainability progress report or a sustainability mission statement if you have yet to create one.
- Designate April as the month you research new, innovative ways to incorporate sustainability and environmental stewardship into your business practices.
- Plan a media release for the end of the month to roll out your new sustainability initiatives.
- Set year-long company engagement quotas.
- E.g. Complete a specified amount of community volunteer hours or outreach events with local and partner organizations; plant a certain number of trees on company property or sponsor tree plantings and conservation projects,
- Use April as the month to educate yourself and your employees on the importance of sustainability and how it ties into each of your initiatives
- Invite an expert to present to your employees
- Give employees a day off from the office each month to engage in designated environmental stewardship activities
- Commit to donating a portion of your profits to sustainability organizations either quarterly, monthly or annually.
GBB Initiatives Perfect for Earth Day Employee Engagement
There are countless activities and ways to encourage Earth Day employee engagement. Partnering with another organization for ideas and guidance can be helpful. Green Business Bureau’s certification process includes three community involvement initiatives that can fit perfectly into your Earth Day agenda. Each of these address different aspects you may consider when determining the best way to get involved this Earth Day.
For Green Business Bureau members, log into your account and find these initiatives under “Community Initiatives” in the Dashboard. Read about how they tie into your larger sustainability mission and complete the key steps at your own pace. For non-members interested to learn more about the tools and services that Green Business Bureau offers, browse your membership options here.
Initiative 1: Become an annual sponsor of an event promoting sustainability in your area
Backed by an ever-growing collection of scientific data and expert insight, there are countless environmental and climate action events being hosted throughout the world. Finding one is as easy as searching for environmental organizations and nonprofits nearest to you and contacting them to inquire about sponsorship opportunities. This is a powerful opportunity to work with professionals in an area you may not be familiar with, gain knowledge from and appreciation for your local sustainability advocates and demonstrate your active involvement to your community.
See a snapshot of the GBB initiative tracker here:
