Environmental prioritization: Employee beliefs about environmental concerns and actions

Whilst developing and developed nations work to prioritize pro-environmental action, Australia ranked 130 in a global sustainability index in 2020, well behind economically comparable nations. This exists alongside national surveys showing high public support for pro-environmental behavior. As employees increasingly utilize ‘green’ credentials to make career decisions in globally competitive marketplaces, understanding if an employer’s environmental track-record is concerning, and what employer pro-environmental action awareness exists, may encourage large organizations to think critically about future trajectories. This research presents results from primary data collected to explore if employees thought environmental sustainability issues were an employer concern, what issues concerned their employer the most, and what, if any, environmental actions were undertaken. Compared with participants’ demographics, personal environmental concerns, actions, and literacy, results are globally contextualized to demonstrate issue salience and highlight local and global imperatives.