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Edition 7 - May 2005

Is PR Going Green?

The environment: communications activity heats up

The environment has never been a more pressing issue, particularly as climate change has ensured that it remains high on the political agenda and in the headlines. Weber Shandwick directors across Europe report that environmental communications work is on the increase, but will it last?

Opinion is divided on whether the power of PR is being fully engaged as a force for good in the battle to save the planet, or if communications professionals are more concerned with helping companies to steer a path through the minefields of corporate responsibility and environmental legislation.

It's a good couple of decades now since being green moved into the mainstream. In part, this shift was down to the persistence not only of international NGOs such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, but also of companies such as Body Shop in the UK that were powerful and PR-savvy enough to engage consumers, buttonhole politicians and make waves in the media.

The green movement has been gathering pace ever since, helped by high-profile, man-made environmental disasters such as oil spills and alarming scientific studies into global warming and a range of other issues. This huge swell of statistics and campaigning is putting growing pressure on companies and governments to place the environment at the heart of their priorities.

There's no doubt that the agenda is shifting. In the UK, for example, Glasgow-based Weber Shandwick account director David Sawyer says he is expecting to be doing more and more work in this area: 'A couple of years ago we had no environmental clients in Scotland, and now we have six public sector clients including the government. There has been a big shift, and there is a lot of government money being pumped into promoting environmental best practice in the UK.'

And in Germany, Weber Shandwick associate director Daniel Kronen says that environmental PR has become an integral part of corporate communications, especially for large companies: 'The whole question of the environment is more and more linked to the question of responsibility and sustainability. It is no longer just an add-on, but is becoming part of companies' core activity.'

Over the past five years, the environment has also grown in importance in France. Arnaud Pochebonne, director of the corporate and crisis division of Weber Shandwick in France, says public opinion is now very sensitive to health and environment issues. 'There is a strong link in France between environmental issues and their effect on public health and safety, such as food contamination and use of GMOs. Industry is aware that it needs to communicate to preserve reputation and promote responsibility. Politicians are making more decisions about the environment based on public opinion, especially after the Erica petroleum disaster and the AZF industrial blast in Toulouse, and NGOs are extremely active in communicating about the environmental responsibility of government and industry.'

And at the heart of European decision making, it's not surprising that just about every company and organisation in Brussels has devoted part of its corporate communications to the environment.

Similarly, in Italy discussion and debate about environmental issues has increased in the past year in particular, according to Weber Shandwick consultant Angela Zeverino: 'There is more information and more awareness about pollution, waste, water loss and future quality of life. The public and private sectors have become more dedicated to the environment and it is becoming an important part of corporate communications programmes.'

The big issues vary from country to country depending on the political and media agenda and particular local concerns, but the overarching themes are climate change and human health. In Germany, the focus is broad, from litter and recycling, to new types of fuel, and producers being responsible for cleaning and re-using bottles and packaging, to solar and wind energy, deforestation and pollution. Increasingly the question is this: if the world and its resources can not sustain six billion people now, what hope is there for the nine billion expected by 2050?

In Brussels, Weber Shandwick director Ivan Martin runs public affairs programmes for clients facing more and more European environmental legislation, particularly where environmental factors impact on consumer and health, such as waste management, and water and air quality. There is also much public affairs work in the area of producer responsibility for the environmental impact of their products, says Martin: 'This has a big economic impact and has been the subject of a number of pieces of legislation. We have been working with one client, for example, to promote individual financial responsibility for take-back and recycling of own-branded products, so companies with a better record are penalised less.'

Political, corporate and social attitudes to the environment differ across Europe. In the UK, Sawyer says while more companies are including environmental measures in their business plans, most are still only paying lip service to the environment. There is cause for optimism, however: 'We do anticipate the private sector coming on board, following the lead of companies like BP who have to have good PR to show people they are doing their best for the environment within the boundaries of the business they are in. There is also a growing social pressure on companies, as vague awareness of the ozone layer has given way to being confronted by the impact of environmental damage in the UK's changing weather.'

In France, the lead on environmental issues is coming from large companies that want to appear socially responsible, while SMEs are still relatively unconcerned. In Italy, the government is finding ways to persuade companies to think about the environment. Zeverino says: 'Italian industry is based on small companies, so economic incentives such as tax breaks are being used by the government to promote interest in the environment.'

The environment has long been a high political priority in the Netherlands, not least because half of the country is below sea level, so climate change and subsequent rises in sea level will have a direct impact. And as Weber Shandwick director of public affairs in The Hague, Jurgen de Vries, points out, most global headquarters of Environmental NGOs, such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, are based in the Netherlands.

In Germany, too, the environment has been a political issue since the Green Party was founded 25 years ago when there was little awareness of the environment and there were fewer regulations and laws. It is no longer a minority lobby, and has helped to put the environment firmly on the agenda.

In some European countries, there is more work to be done, however. The head of customer relations for Weber Shandwick in Spain, Andres Lopez, says Spain is dawdling behind the progress made by others in Europe largely because business associations and the previous government did not think that the Kyoto Protocol would ever be signed: 'We have lost precious time, and suddenly businesses will have to comply. In addition, consumers are not that attached to environmental products or companies, so companies don't think it is worth investing in the environments as a way to increase market share.'

There is some progress, however: Weber Shandwick in Spain is working with a foundation which has 200 companies signed up to implement eco-design projects to reduce packaging and waste. A number of consultants are taking environmental courses so when demand from clients does arrive, they understand the legislation and the key issues. The media are also starting to show an interest, publishing a growing number of environmental stories, and there is even a new award for environmental journalism. This may soon become a source of pressure on companies and governments to get their environmental communications in order.

The media across Europe have the power and influence to effect real change, although some communications professionals are frustrated that environmental campaigning is the exception - for instance, among journalists in Brussels and newspapers such as the Independent in the UK - rather than the rule.

In Germany, Kronen says the media are interested in the environmental debate: 'Most journalists understand that a highly industrialised society needs high environmental standards, but some are still asking about the cost of being environmentally friendly and asking if we can afford it.'

Zeverino says the national media in Italy tend to focus on dramatic stories rather than the complexity of environmental, social and economic issues. Sawyer agrees that it's not always easy to get coverage: 'The national media's interest in environmental stories depends on the client. The environment affects everybody, but selling in a story about environmental responsibility can still be difficult.' He says the key, as always, is to think carefully and creatively about media relations before the start of a campaign: 'Ensure there is a good hook and real life case studies. Great photography really helps, as does building strong relationships with environmental correspondents.'

Martin has some strategic media relations advice: 'Unless your story has defendable scientific foundations and is relevant to political objectives, it is dangerous to comment on environmental issues for the sake of it, because companies then raise their profile and may attract unwelcome attention from NGOs and competitors.'

As well as media relations, environmental communications frequently feature a blend of lobbying and issues management, include helping public sector organisations with their campaigns; promoting good news stories for companies; advising clients on the impact of legislation; and defending businesses from attacks by NGOs and politicians who denounce their environmental record.

Positive case studies are also beginning to emerge, including an online science, technology and environment portal for BMW Groupe in Germany on topics such as hydrogene technology, sustainability, minimising waste in manufacturing, and the lifecycle of cars. In the UK, the team has had great success with its Fishing for Litter campaign to highlight pollution in the North Sea, and in the Netherlands, great work is being done to campaign for Royal Nedalco's bio-fuel developments.

The increase in environmental PR has led a number of Weber Shandwick offices to set up dedicated teams, including in Scotland, Brussels and Italy. There is certainly a conviction that the amount of work in this area will increase on behalf of private and public sector clients. There is likely to be more work from American companies operating in Europe and Asia, because even though the Kyoto Protocol hasn't been signed by the US, American companies will still have to observe European targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions, as well as meeting public expectations.

The next big theme could come from any number of directions, but one thing is for certain: the environment is here to stay as a communications issue.

By business journalist Maja Pawinska.

© 2005 Weber Shandwick