LinkedIn, one of the most influential social media networking platform is driving towards powering their operations with 100% renewable energy by 2030.
Ms Natalie Hall, APAC Workplace Program Manager at LinkedIn and a By The Bay (BTB) Green Champs Representative shares how LinkedIn is committed to protecting the planet while creating opportunities for the workforce worldwide, as they leverage on their highly visible position to educate and connect on sustainability while accelerating personal and career growth in the green economy for their members.
Can you give us an overview of LinkedIn’s approach toward sustainability?
We’re committed to protecting the planet while creating economic opportunity for every member of the workforce. There is a transition that is happening in the global economy where many companies are moving towards clean sources of energy, and sustainable business practices. We have an opportunity to play a huge role in this transition as it’s creating new green jobs, green companies, and new technologies which all are creating new economic opportunities.
What are the objective and targets of LinkedIn’s sustainability efforts, and what the key ingredients to make real progress on sustainability for LinkedIn?
We have several ambitious sustainability targets; reducing our overall carbon footprint by 55% as well as powering our operations with 100% renewable energy by 2030, we also plan to offset all our historical carbon by 2050. We pledge to conserve natural resources by reducing water consumption, and are driving towards zero waste across all campuses also by 2030.
We believe key ingredients to make progress are being publicly committed to our sustainability goals, as well as having the right data to measure our environmental impact. The data we collect helps us to develop programs to address this impact.
What are some of the main challenges faced by LinkedIn in implementing its sustainability plans?
Accurate and comprehensive measurement of our impacts for energy use, carbon emissions, water use, and waste is necessary and very challenging. To give one example, our carbon negative goal includes reduction and offsetting of both operational energy (kwh) and embodied carbon from the goods and services we procure. We’re gaining better visibility on the operational energy through cooperation of our landlords and site management teams. There is a developing ‘science’ for measuring embodied carbon and we are working on this leading edge with Microsoft and other corporate and NGO collaborators to quantify the lifecycle emissions that we are responsible for in our supply chain.
Another challenge is stakeholder engagement. Sustainability touches on every employee in every business line, and the science and practices in corporate sustainability are constantly changing. Keeping up with the innovations and sharing out key information to the right stakeholders is an ongoing challenge.
What are some of the steps that LinkedIn has taken globally and locally to engage your employees in sustainability efforts?
Talent is our top priority and our employees play a critical role in our sustainability program, we have more than 2,000 employees around the world participating as volunteers in our local Go Green groups, and we have a Go Green team in nearly every country where we have an office. Our Go Green groups host different events and drive awareness across our offices and on our platform. Each year we host an Environment InDay which is a day exclusively focused on sustainability for all employees, part of this day is our month long Ecochallenge.
Our local Singapore Go Green team has over 50 volunteers and we share and drive sustainable best practices with each other. The Go Green teams collaborate closely with different teams, especially the Workplace team to implement, communicate and promote different initiatives like removing all disposable cutlery and crockery, recycling and waste reduction campaigns, as well as promoting and sharing our global sustainability goals and efforts with the local employees.
Are there any groups that Linkedin partners with regarding key sustainability initiatives?
NGOs whose work we’re supporting:
1t.org: Supporting the conservation, restoration and growth of 1 trillion trees by 2030 for carbon sequestration and environmental health
Bush Heritage: Supporting science research internship and female Aboriginal rangers programs
IPE: Supporting socio-bio-diversity through land stewardship with indigenous partners and eco-entrepreneurship
UN PAGE (Partnership for Action on Green Economy): Providing Economic Graph green economic insights to identify in green job opportunities and in-demand green skills
Consultants/Vendors:
Natural Capital Partners helps us identify high quality carbon-offset projects to achieve carbon neutrality and ultimately carbon negative status
Sterling Planet helps us identify high quality Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) investment options to achieve carbon neutrality and ultimately carbon negative status
Brightworks is a sustainability consulting firm that helps our D&B team design and construct and certify green buildings
Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) is an NGO that guides organizations on best practices and collaboration for sustainable and equitable Sourcing
As one of the most influential social media networking platform, what position would you say LinkedIn has in educating sustainability?
With over 750m member on our platform, we have a huge opportunity to play a part in educating sustainability, we have many LinkedIn Learning courses, and a dedicated Sustainability Learning Path which will help to educate and inspire users, with courses ranging from incorporating sustainability into operations, designing for sustainability, and even an Employees Guide to Sustainability which provides insights on individual and collective actions that can help address climate change.
We are leveraging our platform to accelerate growth in the green economy, including insights and skills building which will help to empower our members and customers to advance sustainability within their roles and organizations.
What does being in the Green Champs Committee of BTB mean to you / LinkedIn?
‘Individually, we are one drop. Together we are an ocean’ A quote by Ryunosuke Satoro which to me sums up what it means being part of the BTB Green champs. I’ve always been very passionate about sustainability and protecting our environment, and having a network of passionate ‘Green Champs’ reinforces that we are not alone and we can do more together. We can learn from each other, share ideas on how to introduce more sustainable practices, and to seek help or advice in solving any challenges we face when introducing new practices.
The Green Champs committee was formed to support tenants at BTB in their efforts to advocate greater sustainability awareness, committed to the call for greener living and reduction of harmful carbon footprint.
Are you passionate about sustainability and are keen to do more? Join the Green Champs Committee as we strive towards driving sustainability. Register your interest: sustainability@rqam.com.sg