Millennials have been reshaping the workplace to meet their needs.

They have single-handedly revolutionized the work environment. Millennials are forever moving away from the single cubicles or personal offices that were popular with the previous generations of employees to embrace an open plan environment.

Workers born between the early 1980s and mid 1990s are putting people back at the center of the business equation. The change of attitude is marked by a dramatic transformation of the office. Indeed, the divisions between workers are falling to embrace an open space environment where people can interact freely.

Additionally, Millennials are keen to listen to their individual needs. Because of this they don’t shy away from office arrangements that would have been unconventional in the past. Millennials have encouraged companies to launch work flexibility options. 

While there is no doubt that telecommuting was first launched for the benefit of employees, the positive impacts on the environment can’t be ignored.

According to the Global Workforce Analytics, every year, remote workers could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 54 million tons. As telecommuters are more likely to work either from home or from a close-by location, the overall consumption of fossil fuel is dropping. This helps to improve the climate situation in the long term.

There is no denying that a remote workplace decreases environmental pressure and allows businesses to make a green difference by using fewer resources, consuming less energy and reducing the size of the premises.

However, it would be foolish to assume that telecommuting is the only environmental trick that Millennials know. On the contrary, Millennials have made the environment their priority; and they’ve, therefore, deployed their best strategies to make the world a greener place. 

Green living has become a motivational goal.

What makes a significant difference between Millennials and other demographics? The fact that Millennials are the first generation to make environmental issues a life goal. Modern-day environmentalists such as wildlife presenter and conservationist Malaika Vaz, sport climber David Lama are vocal about the cause and keen to share their knowledge with others. They are not afraid to set and chase their goals and work out the best strategy to achieve those.

More importantly, while there have always been individual environmentalists throughout history, never before has an entire generation been so committed to the cause. Millennials have transformed our relationship to nature and its ecosystems by giving the environment a priority over income and career, particularly when it comes to climate change.

While it’s not to say that Millennials are ready to sacrifice their job for the benefit of the environment, they have chosen to follow a career and life path that encompasses their needs and the environmental needs. 

They belong to a new generation of scientists.

With medical waste becoming an everyday challenge in the healthcare sector, Millennials are among the first generation of scientists to create life-saving solutions that are kind to the planet. Indeed, Over 36,500 organ transplants were performed in 2018. However, in the US only, there are over 113,000 individuals on the waiting list.

Every 10 minutes, someone else joins the organ transplant waiting list. Organs are preserved for transportation in a sterile container. But some, such as the heart, can’t be kept safely for more than 4 hours. In other words, they need to get to the transplant center as quickly as possible. The helicopter landing on top of the hospital roof is not a cliché. Unfortunately, it’s not an environmentally-friendly way of saving lives – without mentioning the fact that 60% of organs are discarded after a long commute.

But that’s precisely the problem that biomedical engineers are trying to solve – with a degree from Rutgers University. Indeed, creating 3D organs that are safe to use in real-time could avoid many of the organ transportation issues. The first 3D printed heart made out of human cells is currently only the size of a rabbit’s heart. But there is hope that scientists could perfect their approach. 

They put their knowledge at the service of nature.

Millennials are not afraid to pursue their environmental dreams. The previous generation of drop-outs, such as Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, chose to leave their studies to start successful business models. Today’s drop-out entrepreneurs have a different purpose in mind, such as Boyan Slat who left the university to clean the ocean in 2013.

While this might seem like an odd idea, Slat first introduced his concept at a TEDx talk in 2012, explaining that he could use the currents to its advantage to capture tiny particles of plastic. While Slat’s project was first met with criticism, a crowdfunding campaign attracted fellow entrepreneurs, including Salesforce CEO, to fund research and development. The Ocean Cleanup project is currently being trialed halfway between Hawaii and California. 

They are vocal about their environmental values and climate change.

The circular economy might be a new term to you. However, you may be familiar with the concept of an economy that eliminates waste and pollution, regenerates natural systems and keep products and other materials in use. 

Millennials are the first generation to support a circular economy model at a large scale. This is through their consuming behaviors and their research of sustainability in the market. Indeed, 3 in 4 Millennials are happy to pay more for a sustainable product. In fact, they are changing the business approach to environmental issues. 

They have introduced new lifestyle habits.

But it’s not only their impact on the business world that is noticeable. Millennials are making a conscious decision to reduce their carbon footprint which affects climate change. First of all, they’ve chosen to drive less, with many of them driving up to 23% shorter distances. A vast majority of urban dwellers have replaced the car with bicycles. Additionally, Millennials are also happy to embrace DIY approaches to reduce environmental impact. Upcycling and making-your-own tutorials are not only hugely popular, but they have become a routine activity in modern households. 

Are Millennials greener than previous generations?

Millennials have made a lot more environmentally positive decisions in their careers and their homes than Gen X or Baby Boomers. However, now’s not the time to be proud. Climate change is still a serious threat that we have the power to change. If everybody converted one person to the green lifestyle, we could reverse risks within the next few years.