The power of words and wallets: driving positive change in the language sector

Despite the political noise, the science is clear: human activity is driving unprecedented climate disruption. Since the Industrial Revolution, global average temperatures have risen by over one degree Celcius due to increased levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere – gases released from burning fossil fuels, among other activities.

The consequences – rising sea levels, more frequent and extreme storms, flooding, wildfires and droughts – are already here, affecting communities in Europe as well as far-flung regions. If we don’t drastically slash emissions, life on Earth will become increasingly difficult.

From personal responsibility to collective change

Many of us have considered our personal carbon footprints: switching to electric, active or public transport, choosing green energy tariffs, recycling, and reducing meat and dairy consumption. But, for language professionals, the path to business sustainability often feels hard to navigate or blocked entirely. Sustainability reporting and net zero targets seem reserved for large companies with consultants (maybe we’ve even worked on reporting projects for our clients!), while tools for SMEs with premises and staff rarely apply to us. It can feel like we are too small to make a difference in our working lives. Yet the figures suggest otherwise. A 2023 Nimdzi report valued the global language services market at $64.7 billion in 2022[i], with the UK sector alone estimated between £1.9 and £2.1 billion in 2025[ii]. With 650,000 freelancers and thousands of Language Service Companies worldwide[iii], each of us spending our income on products and services in addition to providing services to every sector of the economy, we actually generate staggering economic influence. While our individual power may feel limited in comparison with the big players in business, zooming out reveals a collective agency capable of driving real change.

The role of language professionals

The freelance linguist workforce spans over 170 countries and covers thousands of language combinations. Building linguistic and cultural bridges to facilitate collaboration is part and parcel of our daily work. The services we sell are used in every sector you could think of. We possess the unique skills to make vital climate responses accessible to everyone, “highlighting ecologically unhelpful language choices and translating the voices of those who have been marginalised so they can be taken into account in the development of new responses”[iv]. We are arguably one of the professions best placed to lead by example when it comes to the climate.

Where can we have an impact?

• Digital emissions
• Workplaces
• Travel
• Finances
• Consumption: stuff and diet
• Wider impact

Money matters

For most of us, personal and business spending overlap, as we work from home for all or part of the time. Yet every tax-deductible expense is an opportunity for carbon reduction. Key areas include switching to green energy suppliers, improving home energy efficiency, adopting sustainable diets, and minimising travel emissions. Yet there are some less obvious considerations worthy of our attention.

Our digital carbon footprint appears at the top of the list, since internet activities account for roughly 40% of the per capita carbon budget compatible with limiting global warming to 1.5 °C[v], while our online work likely exceeds the average of 8.62kg CO2-related emissions per week[vi].

Beyond actions such as decluttering our emails, photos and videos, or optimising our website, we must also be discerning in our choices when it comes to the digital services we use: from project management tools to design or bookkeeping software, every file we create, store and share adds to tech’s ever-growing environmental cost.

Alongside the exponential growth of AI and other demands on power- and water-hungry datacentres, greener alternatives are emerging. Sustainable web design and cloud providers with impressive infrastructure to back up their environmental commitments are among the options we now have to divert our money away from Big Tech.

What about where we keep our money? Banks pumped over £4.4 trillion into the fossil fuel industry between 2015 and 2021[vii]. Conversely, our business accounts can help reduce the ability of these banks to lend to large oil, coal and gas producers, if we choose wisely. Using tools such as bank.green to switch can send a clear message to banks that a refusal to divest will lose them business.

Our pensions also hold immense potential: greening pensions could invest £1 trillion in climate solutions by 2035 – 50% of the money needed for the UK’s 2050 net zero goal. As the Make My Money Matter 2025 UK Pensions Climate Action Report notes, “Greening your pension is 21x more effective at reducing your carbon footprint than giving up flying, going veggie and switching energy provider combined”[viii].

Linguists as influencers

Our wider impact lies in how our actions influence others. The better we understand our impact on the climate, the better placed we are to have a positive influence, regardless of our specialism. Our clients benefit from our expertise, whether that be in green investments, low-carbon technologies, or sustainable marketing practices. We can publish clear policies on where we will and won’t direct our services (and why), and we can actively, publicly champion initiatives such as Business Declares, the Better Business Act and the SME Climate Commitment.

As colleagues, we can foster a culture where sustainable practices become standard. By sharing successes and challenges, we create a transparent environment based on the simple truth that “copying is human nature”[ix]. We can also draw inspiration from groups like Creatives for Climate, a non-profit whose 7,000+ members around the world have signed a five-principle commitment and pledged not to work with fossil fuel clients, and which earlier this year mobilised the advertising industry to support Amsterdam’s ban on fossil fuel advertising.

As highly skilled communicators, we understand the power of the right words used in the right context, for the right purpose. If we apply this to the climate crisis – using our linguistic skills to communicate positive stories and low-carbon solutions, while directing our collective financial power towards alternatives that drive a just transition – we can create and inspire profound change. We may be small players individually, but collectively we are perfectly placed to make a big difference.