Using Sustainability Initiatives to Engage Young Professionals

Prioritizing Purpose for Generation Z and Millennials

Rebekah Heath, PhD, CPA, CIA, and Gail L. Yarick, PhD, CPA

Generation Z, like the millennial generation before it, is pessimistic about careers, life in general, and the world around it. However, it shares a deep concern for the environment and a desire to serve a higher purpose. Sustainability initiatives are a top priority for Gen Z. Nearly half (47%) want to make positive impacts on community and society (“The Deloitte Global Millennial Survey 2019,” Deloitte, https://bit.ly/3CXGR9K) and truly think in terms of “sustainability.” Sustainability is similar to but not synonymous with corporate social responsibility (CSR). Sustainability seeks to balance resource usage with resource supply over time; it seeks to assure intergenerational equity (Tima Bansal and Mark DesJardine, “Don't Confuse Sustainability with CSR,” Ivey Business Journal, January/February 2015, https://bit.ly/3mf5dFU). The visibility of Greta Thunberg and the street protests of schoolchildren across the world are evidence of the importance of environmental resources to Gen Z.