# Building Environmental Awareness at Work - Savonia AMK

> Promoting environmental awareness through Eco support activity.

## Understanding Environmental Awareness
Environmental awareness is defined as a combination of an individual's motivation, knowledge, and skills required to make choices and take actions that support the environment. Motivation arises from values and attitudes that identify environmental changes as problematic. Meaningful knowledge requires critical thinking and an understanding of cause-and-effect relationships, while practical skills are necessary to translate that knowledge into action.

Research indicates that increased knowledge does not automatically lead to pro-environmental behavior. Instead, knowledge influences behavior indirectly by shaping a person’s environmental attitudes and intentions.

## The Stages of Environmental Development
Environmental awareness evolves through four distinct stages:
1. **Initial Awareness:** Motivation arises from noticing environmental changes, particularly those affecting human health, though problems are often viewed as someone else's responsibility.
2. **Knowledge Acquisition:** Knowledge increases and initial actions are taken, but environmental issues are still perceived as separate, isolated problems.
3. **Systemic Understanding:** The global and comprehensive nature of environmental problems is understood. While this can lead to frustration, sustainable choices become integrated into daily life and work.
4. **Ecological Integration:** The environment is valued for its own sake rather than from a human-centered perspective. Values shift toward well-being, and humanity is recognized as part of a larger ecological whole.

## Sustainability in Organizations
The UN’s 2030 Agenda serves as the primary international framework for sustainable development. For organizations, ignoring environmental impacts is no longer viable. A common barrier to achieving sustainability goals is a lack of specific skills or know-how. 

To overcome this, organizations can foster "sustainability communities of practice"—freely formed groups united by a common purpose where members learn from one another through shared experiences and relationships.

## The Eco-Support Activity Model
The Eco-Support activity (*Ekotukitoiminta*), developed by the City of Helsinki, serves as a practical model for environmental management. The program trains employees—known as eco-support persons—to act as environmental experts within their own workplaces.

Key aspects of the model include:
* **Training:** Eco-support persons are educated on ecological crises and the organization's sustainability goals.
* **Empowerment:** Participants are provided with tools and materials to inspire colleagues and promote sustainable practices.
* **Impact:** Evaluations of the model (including cross-border projects between Finland and Estonia) have shown positive results in energy savings and waste sorting. 

Today, the model continues to thrive in various public organizations, providing employees with a meaningful way to align their work with their personal values.

## Author
Pirita Kuikka, Master’s program in Business Administration, Sustainable Future, Savonia University of Applied Sciences

## References
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* Liu, P., Teng, M. & Han, C. 2020. How does environmental knowledge translate into pro-environmental behaviors?: The mediating role of environmental attitudes and behavioral intentions. Article 138126. Science of The Total Environment (Volume 728), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138126. Accessed 25.9.2025.
* Partanen-Hertell, M., Harju-Autti, P., Kreft-Burman, K. & Pemberton, D. 1999. Raising environmental awareness in the Baltic Sea area. The Finnish Environment 327. Helsinki: The Finnish Environment Institute. https://helda.helsinki.fi/server/api/core/bitstreams/b2eb9473-225d-4285-9279-9cd1e374becb/content. Accessed 24.9.2025.
* Tregaskis, O., Graham, J., Baric, M., Harvey, V., Maguire, D., Michaelides, G., Nayani, R. & Watson, D. 2023. Organizational Change towards Sustainability: From Ambition to Impact through Mindsets and Communities of Practice. In publication Di Fabio, A. & Cooper, C. (eds.) Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development in Organizations. E-book. London: Taylor & Francis Group. Accessed 29.9.2025.
* United Nations. 2025. Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda. Accessed 29.9.2025.