Employee Grassroots Water Conservation Campaign at PG&E

For the first time since its inception in 1999, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported that the entirety of the state of California is experiencing a drought. The state government has initiated a public relations campaign to increase the public's conservation efforts, while funding is being directed to the most affected communities. Additional firefighters have been hired in light of the heightened threat of wildfires, and the state, working with local governments, is exploring ways to improve the water storage and treatment infrastructure to maximize water conservation.

In light of the water crisis facing California, a grassroots employee group at PG&E launched a Water Wise Pledge Campaign in which the utility's employees are encouraged to make a commitment to conserve water both at home and in the workplace as well as to specify the specific steps they will take to reduce their water use. While the pledge campaign and its kickoff event were organized by the Grassroots Green Network (GGN), top management affirmed their support of the group's efforts.


Owen Goldstrom, a PG&E senior business analyst and president of the GGN expressed his motivation for involvement, “Environmental leadership is a part of our culture at PG&E, and our employees have a track record of stepping up to address issues when we need them. If we can engage our co-workers around the water crisis, our collective efforts to reduce water use will make a significant impact. This is grassroots in action and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

Employees take the Water Wise Pledge.

Screenshot of Water Wise Pledge Commitments

PG&E's Water Wise Campaign is particularly interesting to me because it is a fabulous example of a relatively infrequent social action at work (SAW) in which one or more employees utilizes the opportunities found in an organization to enact positive social change. Companies often embark on social marketing campaigns aimed at customers, but its rare (or less publicized) for employees within an organization to promote social change among their peers.

These types of initiatives might be uncommon because social marketing campaigns can be challenging to implement perhaps due to the inertia and resistance to changing long-term behavior as well as asking people to change a behavior in order to benefit society in general. Other reasons behind the infrequency of these initiatives could include employees' desire to separate work and home lives or because of the myriad conceptions of positive social change, which could potentially lead to conflict.

Whether you live in a state plagued by drought, or if you are fortunate to live in an area with abundant water sources, you can make efforts to responsibly utilize water. The Water, Use It Wisely campaign delineates almost 200 ways to conserve water. Which ones will you commit to?

References

• Currents blog post
• Social Marketing Book List (Trade Books)
• Social Marketing: Influencing Behavior for Good by Nancy R. Lee and Philip Kotler (Textbook)