30
2007
No Altruism in Green PR
The theme “Green as a Competitive Advantage” dominated the past two days at the Greater Washington Board of Trade’s Potomac Conference. This gathering of elite Washingtonian CEOs and executives, seeks to end today with a green agenda for the region.
The conversation was framed several times with, “Anytime someone says it’s not about the money, it’s about the money. We all know this, so let’s just get down to it.” Actually, it really isn’t about money. It’s about saving our butts before global warming accelerates to the point of no return. Really.- In all, I left at 11 shaking my head with real mixed feelings. Why? In essence, the conference wanted to position DC as green for recruitment purposes and business opportunities. But there was no altruistic soul to the event. It was pure spin with little substance.
- In some ways, this was good. “BoT volunteered to do this. It demonstrates to Governor Kaine and Mayor Fenty that the captains of industry care about green,” said Cliff Majersikm program director for the Institute for Market Transformation.
Regardless of motive, the conference still has potential to vote an agenda, one that can benefit the environment. Let’s hope so. Because claiming you’re green without substantive measures and actions on environmental issues equals BS.
Green Authenticity
This kind of PR is all too common today. Companies know their workforces and consumers are demanding green solutions.
Corporate America is reacting by initiating small measures to appease the masses and claim its products and services are green. It’s only a matter of time before consumers becomes suspicious about claims of environmentally friendly green products.
As a business owner and as PR practitioner, I found the local business community’s take on green to be disturbing. PR is about creating goodwill between a community and its stakeholders. Not making money. Sales and opportunity are the by-product of doing the right thing… Unfortunately, even saving our planet does not seem to be enough in this case.
If DC wants to be seen as green, then we need to act green. Authenticity is determined by actual actions. In my opinion, if the business community really wants to be taken seriously as green it needs to demand strong legislation from regional government. Beyond much needed transportation initiatives, requested legislation should also regulate building owners and commercial real estate projects.
Without regulation, most businesses won’t go green. They’ll claim it, but they won’t act it. Whether it be significant tax cuts for enacting green measures or forced building codes, we must do more.
Personally, I am enacting the following measures:
- Employees who use public transportation will receive a monthly $100 reimbursement check
- Employees tenured for a year or more who buy a hybrid will receive a $1000 credit from the company
- The company will support green vendors and buy green products whenever possible
- Livingston Communications will lobby local, state and federal officials to enact strong environmental legislation regulating emissions from cars and public buildings
Footnotes
Some snippets from the conference:
- Mayor Fenty said the region’s approach to green is forward thinking. Seventeen states have already passed significant environment legislation — before DC and Virginia. Forward or reactive?
- Office buildings account for 39 percent of CO2 emissions and energy consumption
- Office buildings account for 71 percent of electricity consumption
Lewis Green Says:
October 30th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Geoff,
I am not in total agreement regarding legislation and regulation; however, I applaud you for creating a green environment with you company. And I hope others follow your example, as I believe that authenticity comes from within and is more effective when it comes from the heart instead of when it comes via government interference. Way to go, Geoff.
Jared Goralnick Says:
October 30th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Excellent points. You would expect people to talk about this stuff behind closed doors, not as a focal point of an agenda that’s aimed at making a difference–not just about a spin and PR. I’ll be curious to hear the press releases after this conference.
My issue with this approach, like yours, is that it’s not just about doing the right thing for the right reasons vs the wrong ones (a problem in and of itself), it’s about waking up to the fact that things aren’t going in the right direction right now in the environment.
Thanks for speaking out. And for your own company’s measures.
Richard Becker Says:
October 30th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
I working on something that is related to this today. The company retrofits old boilers for cost savings, more efficiency, and reduced emissions. It makes sense all around.
So be careful with the legislation aspects. Often times, legislation mandates specific solutions over better solutions. Anyway, I think many companies can make the right decision, but education tends to work better, long term, than legislation and regulation.
I like what you’ve proposed for you company though. It shows not all companies need legislation to act. :)
Best,
Rich
Kyle Says:
October 30th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
Geoff, well done acting locally and still thinking globally. Environmental altruism certainly starts at the individual level. Green PR is a very difficult balance I have personally experienced and written about a few times.
The issue, IMHO, concerning legislation, is that folks on the Hill are sliding things into legislation that will actually erase much of the benefit to the environment. One example, the “safety valves†that place limits on the extent to which carbon prices on RECS or Carbon Credits can rise in a cap & trade system. This is clearly about the rights being afforded to the special interest groups who are giving the most…wait for it…MONEY to the Hill. Imagine if Congress placed market price limits on public stocks so they don’t rise too much, let’s say we put it on, hmmmm, I don’t know, NYSE: XOM.
However, on the regional level, one just needs to look at things like RGGI to know that sometimes good forward movement can be accomplished.
OK, off that platform and back onto my regular PR platform.
/kff
/kff
Geoff Livingston Says:
October 30th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Definitely a complicated and politically charged issue. I’ll just say my thank yous to all four of you (Lewis, Jared, Rich and Kyle) for commenting. I appreciate your views.
Media Orchard, by the Idea Grove: Media News, Marketing Views, Celebrity Culture, Political Spin Says:
October 30th, 2007 at 11:54 pm
Publicis Acquires | Hospital Heavy on Spin | Google Gets Social It Ain’t Easy Being Green | Slate Does Biz « PRNewser Says:
October 31st, 2007 at 8:52 am
[...] The Buzz Bin: No Altruism in Green PR [...]
Lynn Anne Miller Says:
November 12th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Geoff, you’ve nailed it with this post. Actions speak louder than words. Hurrah for your actions with your own company, and hurrah for local companies that are actually making a difference with actions rather than blather… A good example locally is Microsoft. I was at a meeting at their Tysons office the other week, and while the meeting was totally unrelated to green issues, they did provide Greenware cups at the meeting. Greenware cups are made from corn. They are environmentally sustainable and 100% compostable. They don’t leach toxins into the Earth like conventional plastics. More companies need to follow Microsoft’s lead and take simple steps like using Greenware cups to help the environment, instead of simply driving into DC to attend conferences that appear to be all posturing with little substance. (BTW, did they even have the good sense to use Greenware at the conference?)
Walk the Talk » The Buzz Bin Says:
November 26th, 2007 at 8:24 am
[...] Washington Post, “Action, Not Just Words.” The Washington Post article was based on a Buzz Bin post critiquing the Board of Trade for spinning DC as a green city. There’s more at play here than [...]
Questioning WIRED’s “Carbon Blindness” » The Buzz Bin Says:
May 25th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
[...] Buzz Bin Article: No Altruism in Green PR by Geoff Livingston | PR [...]
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