Should Your Company Support Earth Hour 2009?
The answer is easy… Yes!
Employers with a social conscience are more attractive to the growing Gen Y workforce. While most Baby Boomers and Gen Xs also support the idea, many Gen Ys base their employment decision on whether a prospective employer is socially responsible.
If you’re not currently hiring new staff, you’ll still want to retain a productive workforce. You can do this by generating loyalty through your actions. Demonstrate you’re in touch with what matters to your employees, the community and the planet!
Earth Hour – 28 March 2009 – 8:30pm to 9:30pm. Watch this 30 second video:
Earth Hour has created a list of
10 Things A Company Can Do To Support Earth Hour
- Hold a contest among employees with a prize for the best ideas for reducing waste and cutting energy consumption in your company’s daily operations.
- Ask your business partners, suppliers and industry peers to support Earth Hour. Hang banners and posters so that your support is visible to all who enter your offices or buildings.
- Turn your website “go black” during the week leading up to Earth Hour; make all white backgrounds black and all black text white. (Google did this in 2008!) Post a blurb about the event on your homepage that links to the Earth Hour home page.
- Hold a company-wide event or celebration for employees the week proceeding Earth Hour and serve “green-themed” refreshments. Host an Earth Hour “lights out” party for your staff, customers and vendors on the night of the event. Be sure to turn out at 8:30 pm local time.
- Schedule a meeting or send an email to employees from the Chairman or CEO explaining why the company is supporting Earth Hour and urge them to “turn out” at home. The entire executive team, including the CEO, should pledge to participate as well.
- Create an Earth Hour section on the company intranet where employees can post ideas for celebrating Earth Hour and photos following up the event.
- Hold employee contests with awards going to the staff member who recruits the most people to sign a pledge to say they will participate or who comes up with the most creative promotional idea for Earth Hour.
- Ask the company cafeteria to hold a special candlelight lunch the week of Earth Hour,
featuring dishes prepared using organic and sustainably products to remind employees about the event.- Create special TV, radio and newspaper ads to showcase your company’s participation in Earth Hour and to urge others to join.
- Issue a news release and contact news media and radio stations and tell them what your company is doing to support Earth Hour and why.
A downloadable pdf version is available here.
A hotlink to send in your email is available here.
A quick, easy and effective way to show your support and spread the word about Earth Hour is: to sign up for the Earth Hour Giversign and download Earth Hour banner to appear in your emails to your network, employees, clients and suppliers over the next fortnight. You can sign up and download it here.
This is an example of what will appear on your email…
Earth Hour 2009 by WWF – Sign up for Earth Hour!
For some inspiration on what other companies are doing in your local area visitwww.earthhour.org/countryname.
