The opinions expressed here by Trellis expert contributors are their own, not those of their companies or Trellis.​

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.

Collectively, we represent more than 15 years working in tech. And while neither of our day jobs involves sustainability, we’ve become seasoned advocates for climate action in our workplaces. Our experience reflects a growing movement of employee advocates pushing for change from within some of the world’s most influential companies.

The rise of workplace climate advocacy

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. 

This represents a fundamental shift in how climate advocacy happens — from external pressure to internal organizing — despite significant headwinds facing ESG initiatives that have forced many companies to dial back public sustainability commitments. 

After years of campaigns, petitions and stakeholder meetings, we’ve learned that successful employee climate advocacy requires more nuance than most people expect. Specifically: 

Don’t assume the sustainability team will automatically be interested

This might be our most surprising lesson: Your company’s official sustainability team may not immediately embrace grassroots efforts. When Van’s group initially approached Microsoft’s sustainability department about their U.S. Chamber of Commerce campaign, they encountered unexpected resistance. The sustainability team was focused on hitting specific carbon reduction targets and worried that a public campaign against trade associations could complicate their relationships with key stakeholders. They weren’t being obstructionist because they had legitimate concerns about how an employee campaign might affect their ability to work with industry partners on carbon reduction initiatives. Thus, Van and his colleagues had to demonstrate that their approach would actually support their goals and not undermine them.

The lesson: Sustainability teams are juggling multiple priorities and stakeholder relationships. Employee advocates need to make a compelling business case showing how their initiative advances — rather than competes with — existing sustainability efforts.

Lean on outside experts and external resources

Both of our campaigns found breakthroughs came from partnering with established climate organizations. Sam’