Carbon Footprint Reduction: The Role of Sustainable HR in Greener Workplaces

The chapter examines the strategic role of sustainable human resource (HR) practices in terms of carbon footprint reduction and the creation of environmentally responsible workplaces. It also discusses how HR departments can implement green policies while resolving barriers to implementation. This chapter employs the triple bottom line (TBL) and resource-based view (RBV) concepts to examine sustainable human resource management (HRM) by presenting real-life examples and industry data. Green HR initiatives discussed include green recruitment, telecommuting, energy-efficient office design, and programs engaging employees. It was found that green recruitment processes, paperless work environments, and energy-efficient technologies play a major role in reducing the consumption of resources and emissions. Telecommuting and hybrid work programs can reduce the carbon footprint of transportation. Waste management and recycling programs make people more responsible for the environment. Training programs led by HR inculcate the culture of sustainability, relating practices at the workplace with the global environmental agenda. These findings highlight the importance of HR leadership in embedding sustainability into the core strategies of an organization. Sustainable HR practices not only protect the environment but also develop employee engagement, corporate reputation, and compliance with regulations, thus offering long-term competitive gains to organizations. The chapter relies on secondary data and theoretical analysis, which limits its scope for empirical study. It gives a brief overview of the practical difficulties and industry-specific differences in implementing sustainable HR practices. Future studies should incorporate a quantitative approach, using relevant case studies to validate across different organizational contexts.