By: Melinda Morella-Olson

Climate change represents one of the most pressing challenges of our time. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global temperatures have risen by approximately 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with each successive decade since the 1980s being hotter than the last. These changes are driving more frequent and extreme weather events, leading to devastating impacts. The urgency for action is clear: companies and individuals must prioritize sustainable practices to mitigate the escalating effects of climate change.

Sustainability and Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is a cornerstone of any company’s sustainability mission, serving as a catalyst for collective action. Engaged employees actively participate in driving company sustainability goals forward by contributing innovative ideas, adopting eco-friendly practices, and championing sustainability initiatives within their teams. By fostering a culture of engagement that empowers employees to make a difference, companies can achieve their sustainability objectives more effectively, reduce environmental impact, and create a lasting impact on the planet and society.

Sustainability Beyond the Workplace

Employees who are engaged in sustainability practices at work often carry these values into their daily routines, making eco-conscious choices in their homes, communities, and personal lifestyles. They may advocate for environmental causes, participate in volunteer efforts, and inspire others to adopt sustainable practices. This holistic approach to sustainability not only benefits the company’s mission but also contributes to a broader societal impact, fostering a culture of environmental responsibility and stewardship that extends far beyond the workplace walls.

Sustainability Drives Talent Attraction and Retention

Sustainability has also become an increasingly important factor for HR departments to consider when attracting and retaining talent. Surveys reveal that 71% of workers under the age of 35 cite sustainability as a crucial consideration when choosing an employer. Moreover, 42% of Gen Z and Millennial employees have either changed jobs or plan to do so due to climate concerns, highlighting the profound impact that sustainability practices can have on employee attraction and retention. These statistics underscore the importance for HR leaders to champion sustainability efforts within organizations, not only to attract top talent but also to cultivate a culture of environmental responsibility that resonates with employees across all levels.

In recent years high schools across the country have been adding computer science courses, and there is a movement to make them ubiquitous. A new study of an unusually rich dataset in Maryland found that such efforts can have a significant impact when it comes to getting more students to go on to careers in coding, and in bringing more diversity to the field.

The study, published as a working paper this month, found that taking a high-quality computer science course in high school increased the chance that the student goes on to major in computer science in college by 10 percentage points, and increased the chance that the student would finish a CS degree program by 5 percentage points.

“It’s not surprising in some ways,” says the lead researcher on the study, Jing Liu. “But we need the numbers so we can show it concretely.”

Liu, who is an assistant professor of education policy at the University of Maryland at College Park, surmises that taking a class in computer science helps some students overcome popular misconceptions about coding.

“It’s like math anxiety — they think they can’t do it,” the professor says of some students. And he knows that feeling firsthand. “I took my first CS course in grad school, and before that I totally thought I was not a CS person,” he says. “Just exposing people to the actual curriculum can overcome fears.”

The study found that taking a computer science course had the greatest impact for female students, Black students and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Liu sees that as evidence that increasing CS offerings in high school is helping to address well-known disparities in the tech world. “We need more women and we need more students of color in coding,” he says. “We are far from achieving equity in this space.”