From Local to Global: Scaling Sustainability for Real Impact
Lessons Learned from Growing a Global Grassroots Program
Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a global imperative. Yet, as organisations strive to align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and drive net-zero objectives, scaling sustainability programs remains one of the biggest hurdles.
Having led the growth of a grassroots program from 20 teams to over 2,000 across 21 countries, I’ve learned that scaling isn’t just about doing more—it’s about doing better, with a clear strategy and a people-focused approach.
Whether you're starting small or managing a multinational program, the principles of scaling sustainability remain the same: build on strong foundations, adapt locally, and empower people to take ownership.
Lesson 1: Build a strong foundation with simplicity and accessibility
To get anything to work, you have to know and understand your customer – what does their day look like? How flexible is it? - Is there space to allow other activities or is it work from start to finish? and is this going to a corporate audience or an operation based one?
My customer was operations – people working on conveyor belts, sorting inventory from the inbound docks to outbound shipments, managers running between meetings. Their days were intense and inflexible. Designing toolkits that were intuitive and adaptable was essential. From templates for running sustainability meetings to best practice guides on eco-friendly practices, the goal was to empower employees without overwhelming them. By removing barriers, we ensured everyone—from frontline staff to senior managers—could engage with sustainability in a meaningful way.
Sustainability shouldn’t be complicated. It should be a normal part of every employee’s role. By providing easy to access toolkits, I took away the mental load of having to drive sustainability. It simply became accessible.
Lesson 2: Localise the approach while staying true to the mission
As the program expanded globally, it became clear that what resonated in one region might not work in another. For instance, waste reduction was a priority in some countries, while energy efficiency was top of mind elsewhere. By encouraging local teams to adapt initiatives to their unique challenges, we fostered a sense of ownership and relevance that drove engagement.
Sustainability is an evolutionary process, and progress varies significantly across regions and organisations In Europe, strategies were advanced, while Australia was just beginning national recycling initiatives. Canada took bold national steps to tackle single-use plastics, India prioritised waste and recycling, and the Middle East focused on energy efficiency.
Even within our sites, the stages of sustainability varied widely. Older, more traditional facilities relied on manual inventory management, requiring a different approach compared to newer, automated sites.
Despite these differences, one constant stood out: passionate people ready to make a difference.
By providing flexible resources, we ensured teams could adapt initiatives to their unique needs, fostering engagement through local ownership.
I focused on providing adaptable resources that teams could edit to their specific needs. Being overly prescriptive about how things should be done, especially at scale, risks disengaging more people than you engage. It’s crucial to remove barriers and celebrate every contribution, no matter how small. If one team could only manage a single activity for an engagement event, I made sure they felt recognised and valued for that effort.
Think Global – Act Local!
Lesson 3: Scale with People, Not Just Processes
Scaling a sustainability program isn’t just about creating processes—it’s about empowering people. Recognising and celebrating sustainability champions at every level helped create a ripple effect. When employees see their peers making an impact, they’re more likely to get involved, creating a culture where sustainability is part of the fabric of the organisation.
For the network of sustainability champions, I created a task book filled with challenges and activities to complete throughout the year. This wasn’t a competition but rather a localized action plan to embed sustainability at the core of operations, involving team members at every level.
On the shopfloor, many employees were personally motivated to drive sustainability—whether it was a passion for reducing plastic pollution, ensuring a better future for their children, or simply their love for the natural world. For leaders, however, the motivation often came down to the bottom line. The most sustainable choices are typically the most cost-effective in the long term, which resonated with their priorities.
Yet, site leaders thrived on competition. To tap into this, we tailored our communications to highlight and celebrate the sites (and their leaders!) excelling in sustainability efforts, while subtly nudging those that weren’t as proactive. These small nudges often led to offline conversations among leaders, sparking a competitive edge that pushed everyone forward.
Regardless of whether motivation was personal—like reducing plastic pollution—or profit-driven, recognition proved a powerful tool. Celebrating successes inspired others, creating a ripple effect that drove sustainability culture deeper into the organisation
Lesson 4: Measure, Iterate, and Communicate Success
What gets measured gets done. By tracking key metrics—like participation rates in events, general waste reduction and increases in single stream recycling —we could demonstrate the program’s impact to stakeholders. Regular updates and success stories not only kept leadership invested but also inspired teams to push for even greater results.
Here’s a revised version with a stronger focus on metrics and communicating success:
By tracking participation data from engagement events, we gained valuable insights into which activities resonated most with the audience, and which fell flat. This data-driven approach allowed us to prioritize initiatives that worked, while feedback from our local sustainability network added a practical layer to decision-making. Questions about barriers and implementation challenges provided the groundwork for refining, redeveloping, or, when necessary, scrapping activities altogether.
The local teams were instrumental in spotting gaps or unresolved issues, acting as our eyes and ears on the ground. When one team implemented a successful process change, we ensured it didn’t stop there. Instead, we scaled it across other sites through targeted communications, updated internal resources, and shared best practices. This scaling not only made the process more efficient but also built a sense of shared ownership, reinforcing the idea that sustainability isn’t confined to one site or team—it’s a collective responsibility.
Metrics were critical to this process. Participation rates, feedback loops, and tangible outcomes from process changes were all tracked, analysed, and communicated. By consistently reporting on these successes—whether through internal updates or leadership briefings—we demonstrated the value of these initiatives and ensured their impact was visible across the organisation.
Transparency was the linchpin of this success. Too often, silos prevent teams from sharing challenges and solutions, but we made it a priority to create channels for open communication. If one team struggled with a process change, chances were others faced the same barrier. Sharing these insights wasn’t about “stealing ideas” but replicating success—turning individual wins into organizational standards.
Ultimately, embedding sustainability into a company’s culture relies on this cycle of learning, scaling, and communicating. It transforms sustainability from a support function into a core pillar of the business, woven into the fabric of every role. By measuring and sharing success stories, we not only built momentum but ensured that sustainability was seen as an essential, universal responsibility.
This iterative approach—measure, refine, and share—made sustainability a visible and shared success, inspiring continual improvement across the organisation.
Conclusion: Scaling Sustainability Is a Shared Journey
Scaling sustainability isn’t about one person or even one program—it’s about empowering a collective movement.
By focusing on simplicity, local ownership, and empowerment, you can turn sustainability from an ambitious goal into a lived reality, one team at a time. Together, we can turn sustainability from a goal into a way of life.
What challenges have you faced when scaling sustainability in your organisation?
Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear your insights!