Integrating Google's sustainability programs for maximum impact

Google’s real estate operation (REWS) has dedicated programs for carbon, circularity, ecology and water. Workshop partnered with the REWS Sustainability team to facilitate workshops and develop processes for improved cross-program collaboration. This process is leading to a more integrated approach across key programs and will accelerate progress on shared goals.

• Enhanced collaboration: Our interventions led to better communication and collaboration between program teams, ensuring that they worked in coordination instead of silos.
• Streamlined processes: With a more organized planning process and inventory map, teams could easily identify cross-connections and adopt learnings from other programs.
• ‍Achieving greater impact: By facilitating a more integrated approach, we set up these teams to support Google in achieving their sustainability goals.

REWS' flagship sustainability programs are focused on specific domains including water, carbon, materials, and circularity. While this approach supports deep technical expertise, it also creates inadvertent barriers to cross-functional collaboration. The teams knew that better collaboration would accelerate shared goals, but they needed to establish new ways of working to make this a reality.

• Inventory map: We developed a virtual inventory map to give all the teams more visibility into each other’s work and quickly identify connection points.
• Cross-program framework: We supported the development of a cross-program framework to support shared strategy, planning and priorities.
• Facilitation and collaboration: We organized in-person workshops and virtual working sessions to create an environment for teams to collaborate effectively.
• ‍Programmatic management: We helped the team develop processes and structures for cross-program planning on a regular cadence.