The Planet Is Suffering: 82% of Global Workers Ready to Help, So What’s Stopping Them?

Sustainability Talent Gap 2022:

Climate change is the single greatest threat to humanity’s future, and it will take an army of qualified individuals — from carbon accountants to scientists to ecopreneurs — working together to reach a net zero future. But without the qualified talent to fill the roles, an already daunting task is nearly impossible. The answer may lie in a surprising place — a company’s existing workforce. According to new Salesforce research on the Sustainability Talent Gap, over 8 in 10 global workers want to help their company operate sustainably, with 3 in 5 eager to incorporate sustainability into their current role. With an emerging workforce waiting to help, businesses must turn their attention to training. By upskilling existing workers who want to make the jump into sustainability careers, companies can source talent for hard-to-fill roles, while helping employees work on something they’re passionate about.

Key findings:

• Companies that invest in sustainability training and user-friendly reporting might see skepticism decline
  • 3 in 5 global workers are skeptical their company will reach their sustainability goals in time 
  • 4 in 5 global workers are skeptical most companies will reach their sustainability goals in time
  • Research reveals that employees around the world doubt their own companies reaching their sustainability goals in time. They have even less faith when looking at their confidence in most companies.
  • Respondents had a few thoughts on what could be obstructing companies from reaching their sustainability goals, most notably, an inability to find skilled talent and little investment in sustainability training for existing employees.
  • Upskilling, then, can solve both the concern for finding talent, and showcase sustainability training that moves the needle of skepticism.
• Awareness and education play a key role in successful corporate sustainability commitments
  • 53% of global workers are unaware if their company operates net zero
  • 70% of global workers believe it’s critical their company operates net zero
  • Over half of surveyed workers are not aware if their company operates with net zero emissions, despite 70% saying it is critical that their company does so – making it clear there is a need not just for skilling, but for ensuring overall education for employees around company sustainability commitments and climate goals.

How Salesforce is empowering its workforce to meet the climate emergency

Companies have a responsibility to empower their talent with sustainability education, and Salesforce is one company working toward that goal. Salesforce’s Trailhead platform saw a nearly 60% growth rate in its users upskilling on sustainability from 2021 to the first half of 2022. This came from businesses not only investing in technology like Net Zero Cloud, but actively getting their employees skilled up on the platform. Within the company, employees are looking to upskill in the fight against climate change. With Salesforce’s support, some have even transitioned to making it their full-time job.