The employee climate advocacy playbook: Lessons from inside Microsoft and Alphabet

A couple years ago, when Van and his colleague presented before Microsoft’s Sustainability Connected Community, they weren’t delivering a typical corporate presentation. Instead, they were educating fellow employees about how their company’s membership in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was actively undermining the climate goals they cared about. After several months of a campaign explaining the Chamber’s history of fighting climate legislation, hundreds of Microsoft employees were ready to sign their “Escape the Chamber” petition, ultimately spurring the company to conduct a public audit of its trade association memberships.

Meanwhile, across Silicon Valley, Sam faced a different challenge at Alphabet. Despite working for one of the most forward-thinking companies in tech, he discovered that every single retirement investment option in their 401(k) included oil and gas stocks. His campaign to change this — complete with financial analysis, an employee petition, and stakeholder meetings — eventually led Alphabet to add its first fossil-fuel-free retirement option.

Data confirms what we’ve witnessed: Employee climate engagement is surging. A 2024 survey of more than 1,700 professionals found that 77 percent of employees are unhappy about their employers’ lack of climate action. And according to Deloitte’s 2023 CxO Sustainability Report, 59 percent of leaders say employee activism caused them to increase sustainability efforts, with nearly a quarter describing the impact as substantial.