THINK GREEN
In the joint mission of raising awareness of education about coexistence on planet Earth, we also asked global communication experts about the topic of green communication and green responsibility. Below we bring you their answers.
NATAN EDELSBURG
“What is the responsibility of the public relations industry in green communication and why do you think it is important to reward public relations projects?”
Public Relations professionals are in a key position to promote green and sustainable initiatives from the companies they represent. For example, Climate Week in NYC just took place in September. PR firms and teams were at the center of promoting green initiatives and setting the stage for what’s most important at the UN General Assembly. Many businesses are engaging in activities to combat climate change and PR professionals are a the forefront of getting the word out about these initiatives.
ASLIHAN GUVEN
What is the responsibility of the public relations industry in green communication?
Green communication refers to the strategic use of communication to promote social responsibility and environmental sustainability while reaching target audiences and desired outcomes. As 2024 emerges as the warmest year on record, the urgency of addressing climate change is undeniable. Despite broken promises from governments on carbon-cutting, many sincere initiatives are struggling for climate justice. And that’s where the PR industry assumes a pivotal role. It has the power to dismantle the facade of “greenwashing” and reinforce ethical standards that genuinely reflect the pressing concerns of our time, particularly the alarming levels of climate change.
PR practitioners, equipped with the tools of persuasive communication, can craft messages that ignite awareness and catalyze transformative changes in human behavior behavior to do our part collectively to cut on carbon emissions. The public relations industry has the potential to set the agenda for climate justice and mobilize the masses to rise up to the existential challenge of climate action. Thus, let us harness the power of communication for a more equitable and prosperous future.
CHARLES SKINNER
“What is the responsibility of the public relations industry in green communication and why do you think it is important to reward public relations projects?”
“Environmental challenges form the most serious threat faced by Planet Earth. It is a threat that potentially affects every human and every other living organism and it knows no boundaries. That is why the public relations industry must use every capability, every skill and all its creativity to communicate with individuals, businesses, charities, governments, and of course the media. To do so we must use long term strategy with measurable and achievable outcomes. This is a time for integration and to use the classic building block approach that helps to deliver incremental change that people can see making a difference and so be inspired to do more. Understanding the cause of problems is essential in finding cures and helping individuals and organisations to act on them. Professional communicators like PR practitioners have a duty to use such skills and abilities to lead in green communications.”
RICCARDO GABRIELE
“What is the responsibility of the public relations industry in green communication and why do you think it is important to reward public relations projects?”
In my opinion, those working in PR have the duty to raise public awareness through projects that highlight the green aspect and help increase consciousness. Rewarding such initiatives definitely incentivizes and strengthens this effort
Sangwoo Paul Lee
Green communication has already become an essential component in all industries. Major companies have begun to reflect in their evaluation items whether they are ESG-friendly or comply with the eco-friendly communications process when selecting public relations and advertising partners.
The climate emergency is the most pressing issue affecting us all, and public relations industry can play a huge role in driving positive change. Already, multinational marketing groups such as WPP, IPG(Interpublic Group), and OmnicomGroup, joined Ad Net Zero initiative – the advertising industry’s drive to decarbonise the production, distribution, and publication of advertising.
The initiative has partnered with Cannes Lions to further embed sustainability into their awards programme. This year, Cannes Lions entrants had the opportunity to include sustainability information with their entry submission and for this information to contribute towards the Jury discussion. According to this initiative, the goal is to encourage more entrants to show their progress, as well as ignite conversations among jurors and help them think about sustainability in a new light. The move comes after Cannes Lions’ inaugural sustainability report showed that 3.6% of entries contained information about sustainability efforts and emissions metrics.
These changes and rewards will certainly be a boost for our PR industry to create better green communication and sustainable PR. One clear thing, PR should never be used as a tool for greenwashing.