Overview
U.S. Venture is an innovative leader in the distribution of renewable and traditional energy products, lubricants, tires, parts, and using data-driven insights to manage energy and information in the global movement of goods. With a strong corporate focus on sustainability, U.S. Venture recognizes that no single government, company, or individual can tackle sustainability on their own. As part of this commitment to sustainability, they sought innovative solutions to foster a culture of sustainable habits among their workforce and reduce employee-related scope 3 emissions.
The Challenge
U.S. Venture aimed to engage their employees in sustainability efforts, recognizing that active participation from the workforce is essential for long-term success. The organization wanted to implement a solution to educate employees and increase their engagement in sustainable practices both in the workplace and in their personal lives.
Secondarily, U.S. Venture was looking for ways to track, monitor, and reduce their scope 3 emissions. Scope 3 emissions are indirect emissions resulting from activities not owned or directly controlled by the company, such as employee commuting, work from home, and business travel. These emissions contribute substantially to a company’s overall carbon footprint and often are the most difficult scope to track and reduce. To make progress toward their emissions reduction goals, they needed a solution to help track, report, and reduce employee-related scope 3 emissions.
The Solution
ZeroMe, a sustainability-focused employee engagement app, provided the ideal solution for U.S. Venture’s challenges. The app includes features that help track and reduce personal carbon footprints, encouraging employees to adopt environmentally friendly behaviors. Through interactive modules, real-time feedback, and gamification, ZeroMe engages employees by making sustainability efforts tangible and rewarding.
By using ZeroMe, U.S. Venture was able to:
- Educate employees on the impact of their daily activities.
- Provide tools to monitor and reduce individual carbon footprints.
- Track and monitor scope 3 employee-related emissions.
- Foster a sense of community through shared goals and achievements in sustainability.
Onboarding
The onboarding process for ZeroMe at U.S. Venture involved four simple and strategic steps:
- Initial Assessment: A comprehensive evaluation of the company’s current sustainability practices and employee engagement levels was conducted.
- Training: Workshops and training sessions were held to familiarize employees with the app’s features and benefits.
- Integration: ZeroMe was incorporated into existing employee engagement programs and daily operations.
- Launch and Support: The app was rolled out in phases company-wide with ongoing support and encouragement to ensure high adoption rates.
Testimonials
John Schmidt, current Chairman of the Board for U.S. Venture, said about the decision to invest in ZeroMe as an employee engagement sustainability solution,
“It was a no-brainer. We knew from surveying our employees that they value sustainability a great deal, so to implement a solution that both engages employees in sustainability and provides clear visibility to our employee-related emissions was a win-win.”
Brett Wetzel, Vice President of Sustainability & Innovation at U.S. Venture, experienced first-hand the impact of implementing ZeroMe.
“From the beginning, the ZeroMe team helped us feel supported and empowered. They worked as an extension of our team, helping us navigate the tech, arming us with training materials, and providing resources and ideas for ongoing engagement. The team’s expertise and dedication ensured a seamless integration, and their ongoing support has been invaluable as we continue seeking ways to engage our workforce in making small changes that lead to greater impact.”
Results
Breakthrough, one division of U.S. Venture, has seen great success with the ZeroMe app. After launching a team challenge in the app, Breakthrough saw an engagement rate of nearly 40%, with over 51% of team members adopting sustainable habits. This resulted in Breakthrough team members achieving a carbon savings of nearly 10MT per month after making simple lifestyle changes suggested by ZeroMe. Since implementing ZeroMe, U.S. Venture as a whole has achieved impressive results in:
- Employee Engagement: Employees actively use the app, participating in sustainability challenges and initiatives.
- Enhanced Sustainability Awareness: Employees have become more conscious of their environmental impact, leading to lasting changes in behavior both at work and at home.
- Positive Feedback: Testimonials from employees highlight the app’s effectiveness in promoting sustainable habits and its user-friendly interface.