Is green your favourite colour?
How to spot a sustainable organisation before you buy, use or apply
If you’ve considered how sustainable a business or organisation is before you’ve committed to buying a product, using a service or maybe taking a job there, you’re not alone.
According to the PwC 2024 Voice of the Consumer Survey, 46% of respondents said they were buying more sustainable products, and more than 80% said they were willing to pay more for sustainably produced or sourced goods.
It’s the same when it comes to taking a role at a new company - especially among the younger generations. The Deloitte 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey found that 70% of Gen Zs and Millennials thought a company’s environmental credentials were very or somewhat important when it came to evaluating a potential employer.
If you are keen to know an organisation’s green credentials, you can do a bit of research before making any decisions.
Three simple ways to explore how sustainable an organisation is
#1 Research on the organisation’s website or social media
The obvious place to start is the organisation’s own website or social platforms. Many include their sustainability practices and aspirations on their About Page or even on a separate page, depending on their size and how far along the journey they are.
Examples of sustainability initiatives might include:
Offsetting carbon emissions
Reducing waste and use of paper
Replenishing natural resources
Working with developing countries or sections of society
Ethical gifting for corporate gifts
Beware greenwashing!
In recent years, greenwashing has become a big deal. Many brands have been accused of promoting green credentials or practices that really weren’t as good as they should have been. One of the most famous recent examples is BooHoo, a fast fashion company that announced reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian Barker as its new sustainability advisor in 2022. The backlash was swift, with the company being accused of unsustainable practices and poor working conditions and lambasted for its choice of a jet-setting, lavish lifestyle living reality star in a sustainability role.
Greenwashing has happened in New Zealand too. In 2017, Fujitsu were fined for misleading customers over the energy efficiency of their heat pumps.
Looking for the inclusion of details over vague statements like being eco-friendly and climate-focused will help you decide how authentic the organisation’s story is.
#2 Look for third-party accreditations
Organisations that are working hard in the sustainability space may have partnered with or won accreditation from third-party organisations. Many of these have an application and assessment process, so it can be an indicator that the organisation is taking action as well as simply talking.
#3 Google and see what comes up
If you want to research an organisation more widely, then a simple Google search could throw up some answers beyond the organisation’s own website. Look for new articles about initiatives they have been involved in, interviews with senior staff or any less-than-positive stories.
Bonus tip for jobhunters…
Ask in the interview
If you’re job hunting and haven’t found much information, don’t assume it means sustainability isn’t a priority. Sometimes organisations simply aren’t great at communicating what they’re doing. So you know that bit of the interview where they say, “Do you have any questions for us?” - that’s your chance. Ask directly what their thinking on sustainability is and what efforts they are making in that area.
Sustainability is becoming ever more important, and every organisation (and individual) needs to play their part. Many organisations are just starting out on their sustainability journey or don’t have the resources to make huge progress quickly. This may be particularly true for organisations in the for-purpose and not-for-profit sector that don’t have large budgets. Consider intent as well as actual progress - if they are going in the right direction, that may well be enough to start with.
A version of this post first appeared on the Do Good Jobs’ blog.