Readout of the Ninth Greening Government Initiative Meeting
GGI Countries Shared Approaches on Employee Engagement and Culture Change to Support Greening Government Operations
Last week, representatives of 67 countries convened for the ninth meeting of the Greening Government Initiative (GGI). The meeting focused on how national governments can engage employees and initiate cultural changes among staff in support of greening government operations.
Employee engagement and culture change play pivotal roles in driving successful greening government efforts. A sustainable and environmentally conscious approach benefits from the active participation and commitment of the entire workforce. When a government engages its employees effectively, they are more likely to become enthusiastic advocates for eco-friendly practices, encouraging their colleagues and leadership to embrace green initiatives. A positive workplace culture around sustainability also fosters innovation and collaboration, thereby enabling the implementation of new environmentally friendly policies and technologies. The combination of engaged employees and a supportive culture creates a powerful foundation for meaningful and lasting greening efforts.
This meeting featured presentations from Australia, Chile, and Iceland. Nigel Pinto, Luke Hutchinson, and Catherine Caldwell opened the session with a presentation highlighting Australia’s climate action and sustainable procurement engagement across its government operations. Carlos Rungruangsakorn Leiva and María José Esquivel of Chile’s Ministry of Environment followed with a presentation outlining Chile’s Estado Verde program, which is on track to reach more than 50,000 employees. Birgitta Steingrímsdóttir and Þorbjörg Sandra Bakke from the Environment Agency of Iceland then shared best practices from Iceland’s Green Steps program.
GGI will hold its tenth meeting in January 2024, which will focus on tracking and measuring progress on greening government efforts.
About the Greening Government Initiative
Launched by the Governments of the United States and Canada in April 2021, the Greening Government Initiative (GGI) is a first-of-its-kind initiative that enables countries to exchange information, promote innovation, and share best practices to support global efforts to green national government operations and meet Paris Agreement commitments on climate change. To date, 48 countries joined the initiative. For more information about the Greening Government Initiative, visit www.sustainability.gov/ggi.
About the U.S. Federal Sustainability Plan
In December 2021, President Biden charged the U.S. Federal Government to lead by example by using its scale and procurement power to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Through Executive Order 14057, Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability, and President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan, Federal infrastructure will be transitioned to zero-emission vehicles and energy efficient buildings, all powered by carbon pollution-free electricity. The Office of the Federal Chief Sustainability Officer, which is a part of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, is leading the implementation of the executive action and plan. For more information about the Federal Sustainability Plan, visit www.sustainability.gov/plan.
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