Rethinking Ownership for a Greener Future
As more businesses confront the reality of climate change, sustainability can no longer be treated as a side project. Customers are paying attention. So are communities. And perhaps most of all, employees—especially the next generation—are asking hard questions about how companies align their values with their actions.
What often gets overlooked in these conversations is a critical piece of the puzzle: ownership. Who owns the business—and how decisions are made—shapes what kind of future that business is building. Increasingly, employee ownership and sustainability are proving to be closely connected. When employees have a stake in the business, they are more likely to think long-term—and that mindset is essential for tackling environmental challenges.
When employees have a stake, sustainability becomes a strategy
Traditional business models often separate decision-makers from the people most impacted by those decisions. But employee-owned companies flip that script. When workers have a real stake in the business, they are more likely to prioritize long-term outcomes—including the environmental ones.
A 2023 peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Business Ethics found that U.S. companies with inclusive Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs)—especially those involving non-executive employees—invest more in environmental protection, disclose more transparently, and score higher on ESG metrics. These outcomes were strongest when ownership was both broadly shared and long-term in nature, reinforcing the idea that sustained engagement drives meaningful impact.
Young Workers Expect Climate Leadership
Young Workers Expect Climate Leadership
This shift is not just happening inside companies. It is being driven from the outside, too—especially by the next generation of workers.
According to Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, 70% of younger workers say a company’s environmental credentials are important when evaluating an employer. Nearly 15% have already left a job due to concerns about sustainability, and around 40% report rejecting job offers because a company’s values did not align with their own. Perhaps most striking, nearly half of respondents say they have actively pressured their employers to take more meaningful action on environmental issues.
Employee ownership models are well-positioned to meet this moment. They attract values-driven workers and empower them with real influence—not just a suggestion box.
Local Roots, Lasting Impact
Employee owned businesses are also more likely to stay locally rooted, which can lead to tangible environmental benefits: shorter supply chains, more stable land use, and reinvestment in the community. Because these businesses are not at risk of being sold off to the highest bidder, they are more inclined to think in decades—not quarters.
Building a Greener, Fairer Economy
At its core, employee ownership is about aligning economic power with responsibility. It creates the conditions for long-term thinking, collaborative culture, and shared outcomes—precisely what is needed to respond to the climate crisis in a meaningful way.
As more companies begin to grapple with their environmental impact and talent pipeline, it is time to consider not just what businesses do—but who owns them.
Curious how employee ownership could support your sustainability goals?
We work with founders to design ownership models that protect legacy, empower employees, and strengthen environmental leadership.