Young Employees Push Employers To Be More Sustainable

Passions and Priorities

Many younger employees are passionate about sustainability — at home and at work.

Roughly half of millennial (48%) and Gen Z (54%) workers are pressuring employers to increase their sustainability efforts, according to a 2024 Deloitte survey. Those figures have risen since 2022, from 43% and 48%, respectively. Companies might just be listening.

Walking the Talk

More than half (54%) of U.S. CEOs say sustainability is a higher priority now than it was twelve months ago, according to a separate survey from Ernst & Young.

More employees are starting to put their money where their mouth is. Roughly 20% of younger generations have changed jobs or industries in response to sustainability concerns, per Deloitte.

Complication or Competitive Advantage?

Implementing corporate sustainability efforts can be difficult for companies. They are sometimes met with resistance by investors, who may prioritize short-term financial goals. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles have also faced political backlash in recent years, causing some institutions to distance themselves from ESG initiatives.

On the other hand, reducing resource inefficiencies can positively impact operating margins by as much as 60%, per McKinsey data cited by Fast Company. And with sustainability becoming a selling point for young job hunters, companies that prioritize it could have a competitive edge in landing and retaining talented employees.

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