IT WASN’T until Typhoon Goring tore through our barangay in Antique a couple of years ago—its winds howling like a warning, floodwaters swallowing the streets—that I truly understood just how powerless we are when nature decides to strike.
Like many Filipinos, I stood in awe and dismay as streets turned into rivers and homes into waterlogged memories. In that moment, staring at the chaos that had become my community, a profound realization struck me: this was no longer a faraway concern. Environmental sustainability is no longer an abstract concept taught in science classrooms or whispered in policy meetings—it is a palpable, visceral necessity.
Looking back, I looked inward. What can I, an HR professional, do about this? I do not command billions in infrastructure spending for flood control, nor can I reroute typhoons. I don’t sit at the helm of power plants or city halls.
But then, I remembered something crucial—while I may not wield political power or engineer physical infrastructures, I am part of the system that shapes people, values, and behaviors every single day. That’s no small thing. And truth be told, I do have a working knowledge of how they move—how values take root in company culture, how policy quietly guides behavior, how people evolve when systems allow them to.
And therein lies immense, often untapped potential. That realization made me think beyond the office walls—about the bigger systems we’re all plugged into, and just how deeply our daily operations are still tied to unsustainable practices.
As the Department of Energy a couple of years ago reminded us, 57.2% of the Philippines’ power still comes from fossil fuels, mainly coal. Our transport and manufacturing sectors still heavily depend on non-renewable sources. We are a nation in the midst of a transition, clinging to legacy systems while yearning for sustainable change.
So, what if the revolution doesn’t start with big-ticket projects, but instead from within our workplaces—carefully, quietly, strategically—by HR professionals who understand that being “green” is no longer the business of environmentalists alone?
A Green Awakening in the Corporate Jungle
For decades, the HR function has been narrowly viewed as a gatekeeper of administrative compliance and employee relations. But today, that limited view is rapidly crumbling, replaced by a broader, more strategic vision: Green Human Resource Management (GHRM).
At its core, Green HRM is about embedding environmental sustainability into every facet of people management—from hiring and training to appraisals and rewards, as HR scholar Imran Ahmad pointed out back in 2015.
And here’s the best part: it works. It isn’t just idealistic fluff; it’s practical, evidence-based, and already implemented by progressive companies in the Philippines. Look no further than Philippine Airlines (PAL), which has committed to net-zero emissions by 2050.
PAL’s efforts may not be perfect—its performance evaluations still lag behind in integrating environmental KPIs—but its commitment to training employees in fuel-efficient flying and waste management is a strong starting point, as noted by J.M. Alegre in a 2023 case study.
This is not just about having a “go green” slogan pasted across the office pantry. Green HRM is an all-hands-on-deck strategy, involving every employee from the ground up. It is about green recruitment that screens candidates based on their eco-literacy. It is about performance appraisals that reward, say, a logistics officer who optimizes delivery routes to reduce fuel use. It is about training modules that teach office staff how to digitize files, switch off unused equipment, and reduce plastic consumption. (To be continued)/PN
