In 2014, a few colleagues in Shell Netherlands set out to start an employee network… focused on building grassroots enthusiasm around the #energytransition. They grew, slowly at first, and then started to gather steam. I heard about the network in late 2017, and a few months later, I and a few colleagues through many difficulties launched a chapter of that network in Shell Nigeria. Our belief was simple… that everyone no matter what role they had, and no matter what level they were in the company could be empowered to do something to contribute to the energy transition.

We set out to do 3 things – provide awareness, share knowledge, and call to action.

The results… the network in Nigeria has grown to hundreds of members, with scores of achievements and have received senior management recognition. Globally, the network Future Energy Leaders @ Shell (where I now sit on the Global Board) has thousands of members with active chapters in 20 countries… and a list of achievements that deserves a separate article of its own.

So, do small actions count? I like to think they do… which is why on Monday along with a small team of volunteers (outside of Shell) I decided to launch what I call the SABI Lifestyle campaign for the Nigerian public. The premise of the campaign is simple… that by taking small actions everyday, little changes at a time, people can cultivate a lifestyle of energy efficiency, where they minimize the amount of energy they use in their homes, thus saving money and doing something good for the environment.

And so, in January, for 30 days, everyday we will provide simple nudges to people, in an interactive manner that clearly explains what action to take (awareness), how they can do it (knowledge), and why they should do it. One call to action a day, for 30 days to get people into the habit of thinking about their environment in how they live their lives, and hopefully, by having thousands of people consistently taking small actions, it will roll up to big impact.

We did a 10-day pilot in November, and the results were impressive, and we got good feedback to help us improve and convince us to go all in.

I don’t expect the campaign in January to be perfect, but I expect that by sharing this knowledge, we will help people make SMALL ACTIONS, BIG IMPACT (SABI), and also learn for ourselves what to improve for next time.

One more thing… did I mention joining the campaign is free? Yes, it is. All you need is the willingness to learn, and the courage to try something. You can sign up here till 18th December and stay connected via social media @thesabilife on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

So, will your small actions count? I guess you will have to find out yourself.

See you in January!

•Engr. Odinakachi Umunna (MNSE, MNIEEE, MNIM) is a first class engineering graduate with 10 years’ experience in engineering, strategy and business development across the energy industry, media and public sector in Africa and Europe. He is passionate about sustainably and profitably closing Africa’s energy gap; and can be reached at umunnaodinakachi@gmail.com

Note: Views shared in this article are mine, and does not necessarily reflect that of any organisation I am affiliated with.

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