FEEDBACK CSR vs RECESSION 3: Sustainability will stay on the agenda

Following our recent article Is Sustainability Sustainable, Sledge and The Rouge Partnership air their views on the sustainability debate.


Sledge: No substitute for common sense
I read your article Is Sustainability Sustain with interest, the recession will obviously have an impact on corporate social responsibility (CSR).

In an ideal world a company’s CSR programme would be revered and untouchable by any external factors. We have to be considerate to global climate change and do as much as we can – it’s not an option. But this isn’t an ideal world, and the global recession will have ramifications throughout all areas of business and cutbacks will be made.

I’m sure some companies see their CSR programme as a ‘nice to have’ and not an essential part of their business. We all know that green alternatives come at a price and so I believe that this premium will be cut by some brands. But for others, being green isn’t an option; it is an essential part of the brand and their ethos. These brands will continue to be green because to not be would be alien to their brands and culture.

BS8901 has been talked about a lot throughout our industry since its inception at the end of last year, but to my mind, the use of good old-fashioned common sense is more important than any formal standardisation or governance of sustainability in our industry. My advice would be to take a step back, look at all of the angles and just do your best to make a difference and decrease the impact.

The consumers and the suppliers are the people that are going to help make the difference, not a government standard that essentially has to be paid for, probably at a huge cost, which gives the company a stamp that goes on to, erm, flyers? Printed material?  Defeats the purpose!

At the end of the day, all of our clients are insisting we produce green events, so I really don’t see green issues and sustainability going completely out the window. It is inevitable, however, that some choices will be less green due to the current climate. After all, six diesel generators cost £7,850 and £7,150 for fuel, while six biofuel generators cost £9,038 and £19,206!

We encourage all our clients to be as green as possible while keeping within budget. As with any industry, the more suppliers available, the cheaper products get, so we are seeing green options come down in price. But being sensible and having a common sense approach do not have a huge price tag.

Ian Irving is sales and marketing director for experiential agency Sledge.

Rouge Partnership: The bottom line is…
In response to your recent feature, Is Sustainability Sustainable, it is interesting that at the moment the UK Government, while fully focused on kick-starting the economy back into life, is still saying it is committed to the promotion of green energy and the reduction of carbon emissions.

This is also true of the incoming Obama administration, which is also keeping green issues top of its agenda despite the current economic turmoil.

So our leaders at least seem as committed as ever to the green agenda and I would imagine the same is also true of wider CSR issues – at a time of rising unemployment and general decline, persuading businesses to care for their communities will be even more important to a government whose declining tax receipts will mean they are increasingly strapped for cash.

We must remember that for many the recession is relatively recent. Throughout 2007 and 2008, the move towards a greener and more sustainable planet was huge and I don’t believe the good intentions and practical steps taken by meetings and event-associated businesses will now be put by the wayside as the recession bites. 

Many green initiatives are simply about common sense and changing bad habits; indeed many save organisations money and so will remain. To say the recession will mean all these practices will be set aside is perhaps too strong.

However, running any business is about making choices and setting priorities and, while good intentions may still remain, as to whether environmental and community concerns get prioritised when a business is making staff redundant, is open to debate.

I think ,where appropriate, green issues and sustainability will continue to be taken into consideration. However I do feel it will be given much less importance than before. Hopefully this will only be a temporary measure – Mother Earth is not really interested in our financial woes as the planet continues to heat up! 

The trick will be to marry value and sustainability where possible. It doesn’t cost anything more to be waste neutral for example, or to plan your transportation arrangements better so that your technical suppliers use less fuel. LED lighting units are vastly superior to a standard Parcan, but require much less energy. And the crew we book for our events all work for a social enterprise that provides training for the homeless. None of these initiatives costs our clients any more money – they are just common-sense steps we can all take now.

Ultimately, it will depend on the company’s forecast for the next two years – the worse the bottom line, the less important these concerns will be. Those organisations with cash reserves to see them through the downturn and out the other side will ultimately be the ones who keep the green agenda alive.

Nathan Homan is creative director of events company The Rouge Partnership.