Greening of the economy, greening of professions, greening of skills. Whether the starting point is an ecological concern (climate change, environmental protection, etc.) or an economic one (energy prices, scarcity of resources, investor confidence, etc.), the trend toward greening continues at the organizational level ( CSR approach, energy sobriety, etc.). It also affects employees, keen to display skills in line with the market.
Thus, nearly two out of three executives believe that the ecological transition will have a significant impact on their profession. This is the finding of APEC in a recent study on the challenges of executive employment in 2024 (special issue, February 2024). The organization also highlights a paradox:
Only a little more than one in four recruiters envisage similar impacts on their sector of activity and less than one in five on their own company.
At the same time, a large majority of executives would not consider joining a company whose activities are harmful to the environment.
A large gap which demonstrates that organizations evolve more surely under the effect of regulations.
“Regulations constitute a strong lever for the ecological transition. They force professions and activities to transform,” notes APEC. “Reducing energy consumption and taking into account the life cycle of products and services are the main actions underway. Greening changes ways of working as well as professions. In fact, when looking for executives, companies do not hesitate to express skills needs that have a positive impact on the environment. » (APEC study – Ecological transition – The dynamic of greening managerial professions is underway – September 2023).
Considerations which echo those of the European Center for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) which has been working “for more than 10 years on the transition to a greener and more sustainable economy and on its implications for vocational training”.
This ecological transition leads to skills and training needs for workers, all qualification levels combined.
Cedefop
On the one hand, professions specific to the environment are developing: risk managers, environmental managers, QSE managers (quality, safety, environment). On the other hand, existing professions require an increase in skills to integrate the environmental dimension. The greening of skills is therefore observed in different sectors: purchasing, waste management, digital and even marketing. Businesses are faced with several challenges: anticipate skills needs, make employees aware of the need for training, adapt their training policy.
So, what are the priority skills to develop among employees? Which training courses should you turn to? Sector by sector update with ORSYS training experts!
In summary
- Energy sobriety at the service of the ecological transition
- Ecological transition: carbon reduction through purchasing
- The ecological transition imposes strong constraints on logistics
- Better manage waste with a view to a circular economy
- CSR, an opportunity for change to benefit your company
- Ecological transition: what's new in marketing?
- Responsible IT: ecological transition in sight!
- Ecological transition: HR at the service of generalized greening
- Green finance?
Energy sobriety at the service of the ecological transition
Suffered or chosen, the energy sobriety is now involved in all stages of decision-making in the company. The explosion in energy prices has brought back into fashion the need to do more with less, analyzes Bertrand Coupet, specialist in low carbon strategies. But, concretely, how to proceed?
1/ Carry out a carbon assessment and its associated low carbon strategy
2/ Implement flow micromanagement
3 / Adopt an ISO 50001 approach to energy management
4/ Reflect on the company’s purpose and economic model
5/ Implement the functionality economy and eco-design of products
6/ Raise awareness among employees
These are all areas to invest in to develop the skills of employees.
And to go further, some companies can turn to a specialist in energy issues: the energy manager.
Energy manager: what skills are required?
Key profession in energy management, the energy manager plays an essential role in optimizing energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint of companies. In a context of soaring energy prices and growing awareness of environmental issues, it now occupies a strategic position. With it, organizations can achieve their sustainability and profitability goals while meeting their regulatory obligations. The skills required? Among other things: knowledge relating to energy systems, thermal and mechanical processes, the life cycle of buildings and their evaluation standards (HQE®, BREEAM, WELL, LEED), mastery of ISO standards, management techniques project, programming and technical calculation languages (Python, MATLAB, etc.).
Ecological transition: carbon reduction through purchases
Buyers are first in line to reduce carbon footprint of their business. This is the conviction of Martine Pallot, assessor of the “Supplier Relations and Responsible Purchasing” Label. To date, they are already helping to reduce energy consumption, shift the energy mix towards renewable energies, favor electricity to renew vehicle fleets and even support green IT initiatives.
Develop skills in “supplier capital”
To go further, they must also take into account CO emissions2 providers. This involves developing supplier capital skills. Indeed, buyers must be able to communicate, share the issues, develop a supplier relationship based on listening, trust and cooperation. Concretely, this will allow them to better support suppliers in quantifying their emissions, defining reduction objectives and implementing low-carbon strategies.
Training in responsible purchasing
The decarbonization of purchases is also one of the priority actions of the responsible purchasing approach. For Yann Le Coz, expert and trainer in responsible purchasing, this is a major issue for the largest companies since the publication of the so-called BEGES decree. This decree of July 1, 2022 relating to greenhouse gas emissions reports has in fact extended the scope of the report to include significant indirect emissions. However, a company's scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions often represent more than 60 % of its emissions.
Carrying out your carbon footprint is first stage. This allowsidentify its main GHG emission factors and develop an action plan to reduce them in the medium term. Buyers can thus promote the most advanced suppliers in terms of reducing GHG emissions. More particularly in the context of the development of a new product in an eco-design approach.
The ecological transition imposes strong constraints on logistics
On an environmental level, the logistics constraints – particularly e-commerce – are strengthening, both at a societal and legal level, warns Julien Monterisi. For this e-commerce logistics specialist, it is necessary rethinking last mile logistics. In other words, being able to do city center logistics or urban logistics. With the gradual banning of thermal engines within ZFEs (low emission zones), logistics players must indeed adapt.
On the one hand, this requires them to green their fleet with electric vans and cargo bikes. And why not invest in small delivery robots, like in Shanghai and London? But, of course, significantly developing a fleet of adapted vehicles increases the cost of the last mile.
Additional difficulty: the new regulations result in a great heterogeneity of standards applicable in the field. Indeed, beyond the overall framework, each municipality organizes itself as it wishes for implementation. This is the new challenge for carriers, subject to different constraints depending on the cities delivered.
On the other hand, e-commerce logistics must rely more and more on small logistics platforms in town, as close as possible to the recipient.
Priority skills to strengthen? Fleet purchasing and management, regulatory monitoring and the acquisition of know-how relating to automated storage.
Better manage waste with a view to a circular economy
“Extract, manufacture, consume, throw away” sums up the dominant linear economic model well. Its negative impacts on the environment are today indisputable. At the same time, certain resources are experiencing a shortage: wood, construction materials, paper, aluminum, vinyl, wheat and even semiconductors. Ecological and economic issues are getting closer so until reaching a consensus: the circular economy must be the pillar of a new social project. So argues Catherine Viale, consultant and trainer.
The circular economy serving the ecological transition
The circular economy consists of producing goods and services in a sustainable manner by limiting the consumption and waste of resources (raw materials, water, energy) as well as the production of waste. This requires rethink each stage of the production of a good, until its delivery to the customer. Very often, it is therefore necessary to develop the skills of employees through training activities. And this in different areas.
Skills to prioritize
The priority will be to develop waste management skills. The challenge ? Define and implement “economically acceptable” organizational and technical means to achieve an n-1 management level for all waste. The idea is to proceed step by step until they are reduced at source. For this, skills in project management will prove very useful.
The preferential hierarchy of waste treatment
CSR, an opportunity for change to benefit your company
The environment is one of the three pillars of CSR (corporate social responsibility). Voluntary approach by companies, CSR has many advantages: reassuring investors, boosting the employer brand, better managing costs and risks, etc. But success relies above all on commitment. The commitment of a work collective that must be motivated and “on board”.
“Before saying what the company is going to do or how it is going to do it, it is necessary to explain why the company is going to do it,” assures Hoël Beau, trainer, facilitator and consultant in CSR.
This will require strong skills in communication, change management and collective intelligence. The essential ? Avoid the top/down strategy!
“The best ideas are not those that are written down on paper but those carried out by the teams,” underlines the expert.
- Training Implementing a CSR approach
A cross-functional project team
Develop an environmental policy in fact asks companies to be voluntary, to invest in the long term and to commit to pragmatic implementation, adds Catherine Viale. The success of the approach relies on a cross-functional project team: HR, communication, production, purchasing, etc. project management skills therefore prove to be central. In particular, you must master sprint operation or the PDCA wheel (plan, do, check, act), known as the Deming wheel.
Ecological transition: what's new in marketing?
More sustainable and responsible marketing
Why build a sustainable marketing strategy? One of the reasons for brands is to adapt to changing consumer behavior, in full awareness of environmental issues. Once the decision has been made, all that remains is to structure the approach while avoiding the trap of goodwashing. For Clarisse Popower, expert in responsible digital marketing, the roadmap for sustainable and responsible marketing strategy through 5 steps.
1/ Determine your purpose and brand manifesto
2/ Choose a status in correlation with your activity (mission-based company, association, cooperative, ESS)
3/ Define a marketing mix guideline consistent with the brand's purpose
4/ Mobilize all company stakeholders
5/ Be consistent in marketing products or services
Among the skills to develop, communication ranks high. It is in fact reinvent a responsible communication both in substance and in form.
[Read on the same subject]
Metaverses and marketing: what practices with regard to societal and environmental issues
Integrate the circular economy into your marketing strategy
We must now do more and better with less, underlines Clarisse Popower. The challenge for companies is both to follow more responsible practices, but also and above all to imagine more virtuous models to move towards sustainable consumption patterns. In other words, moving from a linear economy to a circular economy.
But how to proceed? Rethink your value proposition to move towards a more viable model, via more sustainable consumption patterns, is a necessity. More and more companies are exploring new economic models based on responsible production and consumption principles. Everyone has to find their own model. Or to draw inspiration from more sustainable economic models or marketing strategies inspired by the circular economy. For example: permabusiness, functionality economy, reasoned consumption, industrial and territorial ecology, sustainable or local supply, eco-design. So many changes which will require the upgrading knowledge and skills of the company in various areas: change management, project management, responsible purchasing, eco-design, etc.
Responsible IT: ecological transition in sight!
The question of responsible IT purchasing should become more and more significant in companies, underlines Jean-Anaël Gobbe, digital services quality specialist specializing in green IT.
Raise employee awareness of digital sobriety
A responsible IT purchasing policy is at the heart of a CSR approach and is based on digital sobriety. This is why, in addition to IT and purchasing skills, it is also necessary to develop internal communication skills to raise awareness among employees about more responsible use of digital resources.
- Training Responsible IT purchasing
Optimizing your code, an environmental issue
Beyond the question of hardware or software purchases, reducing the impact of digital technology on the environment also depends on the design of digital services. Thus, it becomes fundamental to develop eco-design skills to design digital services that consume the least energy possible.
- Training Ecodesign of digital services
Ecological transition: HR at the service of generalized greening
As proof of momentum towards a generalized greening of skills, training decision-makers are also encouraged to anticipate the consequences of the ecological transition on professions, jobs and skills in the company. This is one of the impacts of the “climate and resilience” law of August 22, 2021.
When the ecological transition impacts the training function…
[Also read the article]
- Training Training management
…and the entire HR function
Training, social dialogue, recruitment, employer branding… the entire HR function is impacted in its daily missions.
This involves in particular strengthen HR communication skills, whether it involves attracting or retaining talent. This is precisely the strong point of HR marketing manager, emerging profession.
[Read the job description]
But we can also choose to develop these skills among employees responsible for recruitment. First of all, it will be a matter of train in content management tools (CMS) and graphic design software (DTP). Other training will allow them to develop strong writing skills, acquire public speaking techniques or even master project management methods and tools.
HR and CSR communication: the climate fresco
To raise employee awareness of climate change and strengthen the company's CSR approach, HR departments have a new tool: the climate fresco.
[Read the article]
Climate fresco: raise your employees' awareness and strengthen your CSR approach!
[See the training]
This immersive and educational approach allows participants to better understand the issues of climate change. It thus strengthens their environmental commitment and arouses the desire to invest a little more in their company's CSR strategy.
1 deck of cards
4 to 8 players
3 hours
1 facilitator
“To succeed in a CSR approach, it is crucial to rely on a common understanding within the company,” underlines Bérangère Leyritz, responsible digital specialist and facilitator of the climate fresco for ORSYS.
Towards an environmental social dialogue?
The greening of skills is also observed in corporate social dialogue, under the effect of the “climate and resilience” law. Thus, the social and economic committee (CSE) must be informed and consulted on the environmental consequences of measures that concern the organization, management and general operation of the company. Questions of environmental impact are therefore expected to gain more and more weight on its agenda, as noted The world. Although not decision-makers, the CSEs appear to act as a counter-power. But how can we do this without additional resources? Pushing the company to carry out a carbon assessment, encouraging it to train employees in responsible digital technology or even directing employee savings towards environmentally friendly funds are some avenues to explore. HR managers and elected officials will therefore benefit from developing their skills in Environmental Law. It will also be necessary create and correctly feed the BDESE (economic, social and environmental database).
- Training Social dialogue
Green finance?
The world of accounting and finance is also adapting. New regulations, new skills required… We must now master:
1 – The extra-financial reporting, under the effect of the CSRD (corporate sustainability reporting directive) coming into force at the start of 2024
[Read the article]
CSRD Directive: what impact for your company? How to prepare for it?
[See the training]
2 – The environmental management control
3 – The CARE accounting (comprehensive accounting in respect of ecology or accounting adapted to the renewal of the environment)
- Training Finance and environmental issues
To remember: all functions of the company are concerned by an upgrading of skills to adapt to the ecological transition. It is essential to involve all decision-makers and managers to secure the structuring stages of the process. Relays must also be identified in all departments to raise awareness and support all employees in changing practices. Finally, we must keep in mind that the success of a large-scale project also requires employee training!
