How Behaviour Change Helps Organisations Achieve Net-Zero Goals
Posted by Marketing & PR on 14 Aug 2026
Setting a net-zero target gives an organisation something important to work towards. Reaching it, however, involves more than targets, technology and changes to infrastructure. It also depends on the choices people make every day.
From how employees travel and use energy to the products teams buy and the suppliers they choose, everyday decisions can influence an organisation’s carbon footprint.
In this article, we explore how behaviour change can help organisations turn net-zero ambitions into action, from engaging employees and removing barriers to creating a culture where more sustainable choices become part of everyday working life.
The gap between knowing and doing
Most people don’t need to be told that climate change matters. But understanding an issue and intending to do something about it doesn’t guarantee that our behaviour will follow.
A 2026 review published in Nature Climate Change explored this intention-behaviour gap. It found that climate-friendly intentions can be influenced by a combination of individual, social and structural factors, including habits, social norms, affordability and convenience.
That distinction matters for organisations. Raising awareness is important, but communication alone may not be enough to change established ways of working.
Employees might understand what the organisation wants to achieve, but still encounter barriers such as:
● Established habits and routines
● Workplace processes that make another option easier
● A lack of practical alternatives
● Different behaviours being seen as the workplace norm
Understanding what sits behind a behaviour is an important first step towards changing it.
Make sustainable choices easier
If organisations want employees to behave differently, they need to consider the environment in which those decisions are made.
Research into workplace energy use supports this. A systematic review of 22 studies found that some of the most successful interventions created social and physical opportunities for employees to save energy, including providing support, changing the working environment and using social influence.
The same thinking can be applied across everyday working life. Behaviour change could mean making it easier for people to:
● Reduce energy use by changing how equipment, lighting and workplace facilities are used.
● Travel differently by making lower-carbon commuting, virtual meetings or public transport practical options.
● Cut waste by making reuse and recycling simple and accessible.
● Make considered purchasing decisions by bringing sustainability into procurement choices.
UK Government carbon reduction guidance also recognises the role employees can play through behaviours such as switching off equipment, sorting waste and travelling more sustainably.
The aim isn’t to place responsibility for net zero on individual employees. It’s to create conditions that help people make choices that support the organisation’s wider goals.
Make net zero part of the culture
Workplace behaviour doesn’t happen in isolation. We notice what the people around us do and, importantly, what our leaders prioritise.
If sustainability appears in a strategy but rarely influences everyday decisions, employees may struggle to see where they fit into the picture. When leaders visibly support different ways of working and those choices are reflected in processes and priorities, the message becomes much clearer.
Over time, actions that once required conscious thought can start to feel like a normal part of how the organisation operates.
This is where culture becomes particularly important. Achieving net zero is much harder when it falls solely to a sustainability team. Progress needs people across different roles and departments to understand how their own decisions contribute.
Look beyond your employees
Employees may be at the heart of internal behaviour change, but an organisation’s environmental impact extends further.
Depending on the business, progress could also involve influencing:
● Suppliers, through purchasing requirements and expectations
● Partners, by finding better ways to work together
● Customers, by making lower-carbon choices easier or more attractive
● Other stakeholders, by communicating clearly about the role they can play
Thinking more broadly can help organisations identify where changing behaviour could affect their wider network, rather than focusing only on what happens within their own walls.
Turn ambition into everyday action
Behaviour change starts with understanding what people currently do, why they do it, and what needs to change.
For organisations working towards net zero, that means identifying the behaviours with the greatest potential to drive progress. It also means looking at what might be preventing change, from habits and workplace norms to practical barriers.
With that understanding, organisations can develop strategies and communications that don’t simply tell people to behave differently, but help make change realistic and relevant to their everyday lives.
Are you looking to turn your net-zero ambitions into action?
Perfect Circle helps organisations understand the behaviours that matter and develop strategies and communications that encourage meaningful change.
Talk to our team about how behaviour change can support your journey towards net zero.
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