Unilever Philippines: Not Just Soap, But Sustainability
Unilever Philippines provides another compelling case. Through its Sustainable Living Plan, Unilever has embedded environmental awareness in its organizational DNA.
New hires are onboarded with sustainability goals, and eco-incentives are given to employees who propose green innovations. It’s not just about bar soaps and detergents; it’s about cultivating a workforce that sees sustainability as part of their job, not a side project.
Unilever’s “Future Leaders Program” is especially worth emulating. Young professionals entering the workforce are trained in both leadership and sustainability. Why? Because the leaders of tomorrow must think beyond profits. They must consider environmental externalities, climate resilience, and long-term planetary health.
Imagine if all Filipino corporations followed suit. We would have an entire generation of eco-conscious managers and workers who treat every kilowatt saved and every plastic bottle recycled as a small victory against climate change.
The Philippine HR Challenge: Where to Begin?
Let us not romanticize. Implementing Green HRM in the Philippines is no walk in the eco-park. There are obstacles. Budget constraints. Leadership apathy. Employee indifference. And yes, the ever-persistent silos that fragment communication across departments.
According to Alegre’s case study on PAL, one of the key implementation challenges was inconsistent communication. Some employees, particularly those in administrative roles, felt excluded from green initiatives. Sustainability, after all, cannot be the burden of one department alone.
So how do we begin?
The first step is painfully simple: awareness. Conduct workshops. Hold lunch-and-learns. Create green modules in onboarding programs. These may seem like drops in the ocean, but they create ripples.
At one medium-sized logistics company I consulted for years ago, we started with something as modest as a green suggestion box. Within three months, employees had proposed over 20 cost-effective eco-initiatives, from switching to motion-sensor lights to partnering with local recyclers.
The next step is to integrate sustainability into policy. This means going beyond platitudes. Start embedding green KPIs into performance appraisals. Reward departments that meet paper-reduction goals. Offer monetary or non-monetary incentives for energy-saving ideas. The principle is simple: what gets rewarded gets repeated.
The Counterpoint: Is This Even HR’s Job?
Here’s the inevitable pushback: “Why is HR taking on the environment? Isn’t that for the facilities or CSR department?”
It’s a valid question. But it misses the point. HR is the architect of culture. We shape who gets hired, how they are trained, how they are evaluated, and what behaviors get reinforced. If sustainability is to become a core organizational value, HR must lead the charge. We are not just paper-pushers or birthday cake organizers; we are cultural custodians. When HR speaks, policy becomes practice.
Moreover, HR is uniquely positioned to unify fragmented efforts. Facilities may install energy-efficient lights, but unless employees are trained and incentivized to switch them off, the effort falls flat. CSR may organize tree-planting drives, but if those drives aren’t tied to employee engagement metrics, they’re just one-off photo ops. HR can provide the continuity, the structure, and the evaluation metrics that make environmental initiatives sustainable. (To be continued)/PN
