If you want your team to really understand sustainability, let them experience it first-hand

On Saturday 15th March, I joined a community environmental clean-up alongside fellow volunteers from #Coffeeislandmalta – an informal network of entrepreneurs and business owners who meet weekly to connect, collaborate, and unwind in a beautiful natural setting by the sea.

For this clean-up I participated as a volunteer - driven by my strong personal belief in taking responsibility for the environment which all share. However, although I wasn’t in an organising role this time, environmental action is something I’m deeply invested in. Over the past four years, I’ve led numerous large-scale clean-ups and sustainability initiatives, both through my own local clean-up group and as the CSR Coordinator for a major local business association and its member companies.

There’s something powerful about mobilising groups of people to make a concrete difference to our threatened rural environment. It’s humbling, rewarding - and incredibly effective. In leading and coordinating these events, I’ve gained valuable experience in logistics, stakeholder engagement, and community outreach. I’ve also built a broad network of collaborators across business, NGOs, local authorities, and grassroots groups.

And ensuring our events were always officially registered as part of annual global environmental initiatives like Earth Day, World Oceans Day and World Cleanup Day, with millions of fellow participants around the world, adds to the feeling of community engagement and connection that is hard to quantify.

Huge impact, great rewards

The impact speaks for itself: 10 major environmental events in three years, hundreds of volunteers from many different cultures and nationalities, co-operation between international business and local environmental groups, and more than 10,000 kilograms of trash removed from Malta’s countryside, coastal areas, and seabed. And common to all was the sense of achievement and participation felt by everyone involved, a closer connection to our world, and the feeling of making a real difference in it.

These experiences continue to reinforce my belief that meaningful change happens when people come together with purpose - and a plan. Now imagine if you could harness this powerful energy to improve the sustainability of your own business.

Making sustainability less abstract

Sustainability isn’t just a “nice-to-have” anymore - it’s something businesses can’t afford to ignore, especially with regulatory enforcement on the way. It’s about staying competitive, building resilience, and making sure your business is in a healthy state to meet the future.

For a lot of business owners, ESG can feel abstract - more of a paper exercise than something that can actually drive real change, but there are tangible rewards and benefits for companies that get it right. And then comes an even bigger challenge: how do you show your team that sustainability isn’t just a buzzword, but something that matters to your business - and to their future roles within it? How do you get them to truly understand it, and more importantly, to care?

Hands-on engagement

Through our partner organisation Numinara, we have a solution: ESG Teambuilding. But this isn’t your typical team building experience - no sweaty laser tag sessions or awkward booze cruises with upper management here, thank you.

Instead, we focus on creating hands-on experiences where employees step out of their comfort zones and engage directly with the core principles of sustainability, in a series of team challenges. These experiences aren’t just fun - they’re inspiring, memorable and educational. By participating in these challenges, teams gain a deeper understanding of what sustainability means in practice, and how everyone plays a part in driving awareness, both within the company and in the broader community.

Why it matters – and what you get out of it

Visible impact in your community. Make a real, tangible difference in the places your team lives and works. It’s impact your people can see, touch, and be proud of.

Stronger team connections.
There’s something powerful about getting your hands dirty together - whether it’s clearing debris, restoring nature or planting trees. These shared experiences build trust, collaboration, and camaraderie.

Renewed purpose and motivation. Your team returns re-energised, with a sense of pride and a deeper connection to your company’s values.

Boosted brand reputation. Actions speak louder than words. Show your clients, partners, and community that you’re walking the talk on sustainability and social responsibility.

The world needs companies that don’t just talk about sustainability but live and breathe it. And your team? They need more than another corporate workshop or escape route challenge – they need purpose, connection with the broader community, and a reason to be proud of where they work. Check out the programme at https://numinara.com/esg-teambuilding/