Genee Consulting Ltd, North East based sustainability specialists who deliver Investors in the Environment (iiE), in collaboration with Connection Heroes, a learning community for organisations that want to improve human connections across their workforce.
Sustainability is often seen as the domain of calculating carbon, recycling targets, and energy-saving measures. But what if a key part of your sustainability impact lies, not in your supply chain, but in your culture – in particular – the level of human connection felt across your team?
Human Connection – how much your people see, hear, trust and value each other – has a direct impact on engagement and performance, but it can also play a key role in how sustainable your organisation is. Let’s consider how.
Connection supports wellbeing and retention
When employees feel connected – to their team, their manager, their purpose – they’re more engaged, more productive, happier, healthier and – critically – they’re more likely to stay for longer. And this has a direct impact on sustainability:
Reducing turnover reduces waste. Every time someone leaves, a new hire triggers carbon and resource costs: online job advertising, recruitment platforms, travel for interviews, IT kit, onboarding materials, welcome merchandise – not to mention server storage and digital emissions from onboarding platforms.
New tech = new emissions. Equipping new starters with laptops, monitors, and accessories adds to your digital footprint and electronic waste. And, according to a study by HP, 80% of a laptop’s carbon impact happens during manufacture.
High turnover drives burnout. When people leave, others pick up the slack – increasing stress, sick days, and disengagement. A workplace that fosters strong connection keeps people well, working, and on board.
The fewer people you lose, the fewer emissions, costs and wellbeing hits you generate.
Connected teams collaborate more sustainably
When people feel psychologically safe (confident to share their ideas and challenge colleagues without fear of judgement) they work together more effectively and efficiently.
That translates into:
Fewer duplicated tasks, reducing time, materials, and energy waste.
Better aligned goals, so teams aren’t pulling in different directions or creating unnecessary processes.
More innovation because people feel confident enough to challenge outdated practices or suggest sustainable alternatives.
Disconnected teams don’t just cost morale – they cost resources.
Culture is the catalyst for behaviour change
Your sustainability strategy will also only succeed if people actually change how they work day-to-day. That means:
Reusing instead of replacing.
Sharing ideas across departments.
Calling out unsustainable habits.
Taking ownership, rather than leaving it to “the sustainability team”.
These are human behaviours. And they thrive in a culture of connection, trust, and shared purpose where people want to do right by each other and achieve a common goal.
One way to embed this connectiondriven approach to sustainability is by using frameworks like Investors in the Environment (iiE). iiE provides practical tools, templates, and guidance to help engage your people in the sustainability agenda.
Whether it’s team-wide environmental challenges, green champions initiatives, or communication resources, iiE supports organisations to bring their staff along on the journey. When employees are actively involved, they feel a stronger connection to the organisation’s purpose and values.
This shared sense of mission not only boosts morale and cohesion but also drives more consistent, meaningful behaviour change – because people are more likely to act sustainably when they feel they’re part of something bigger.
So, what now?
If you care about sustainability, don’t just measure your emissions. Measure your culture.
Build connection. Help your people feel safe, valued, and heard. Because connected teams don’t just stay longer and work smarter, they care more. And caring is what drives change.
If you’d like to learn more about how you can foster workplace connection, get in touch with Connection Heroes on di@connectionheroes.co.uk.
To discuss your business’ environmental impact and how to reduce it, contact us at jo@genee.org.uk or visit our website www.genee.org.uk