Chicago, USA September 25-26 2007

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Companies need to do more to win the sustainability race

Twenty top companies will gather in Chicago in three weeks time to share their sustainability credentials and talk about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to climate response. Ford, Wal-mart, McDonald’s, Abbott, GM, IBM, Anheuser-Busch, Dow and United Technologies are among those coming along to Corporate Climate Response, which runs September 25th-26th. Along with hearing what these organizations are doing to reduce their emissions, participants will discuss how best to communicate sustainability strategies and why climate change represents a significant business opportunity for companies.

Malin Jennings, Senior Vice President of Fleishman-Hillard Sustainability Communications, has been following corporate climate change campaigns long before the topic became fashionable and believes a lot more needs to be done before genuine climate action is widespread across companies. ‘So far, only about 1% of companies have demonstrated a strong and strategic commitment to sustainability,’ she says. ‘Responsible corporate leaders must walk the sustainability walk and talk the talk. Business has more credibility than the media, NGOs or academia in explaining how eco-commitments are good for business, the economy, ecology and, ultimately, for the millions of individuals who make up our society.’

Jennings will be discussing why sustainability is strategic to business today and how to communicate one’s climate change credentials at Corporate Climate Response.

Malin Jennings, Senior Vice President, Fleishman-Hillard Sustainability Communications

With companies announcing climate change initiatives daily, what does it take to stand out with your message today?

Companies that want to stand out today must integrate sustainability initiatives into their corporate strategies. It's no longer enough to build a bike path or plant indigenous trees around your building. Today's corporate sustainability leaders are re-branding themselves around their commitment to sustainability.

They communicate to stakeholders in aspirational terms about their sustainability initiatives by talking about what they hope to achieve and want to attain. They also avoid using superlatives. Referring to your firm as the best or the greenest of companies is one of the surest ways to lose credibility and be accused of greenwash.

What are some companies you consider climate pioneers and why?

The first company that comes to my mind is Interface. Their commitment to becoming a 100% sustainable flooring manufacturer is astounding. It's a testament to what a great leader like Ray Anderson can do when they put their mind to a problem.

Another firm showing outstanding leadership is Enterprise Rent-A-Car. North America's largest car rental company is incorporating sustainability initiatives into its business structure. For example, 47% of their cars are high fuel-efficiency and they continue to expand their hybrid fleet, which is already one of the largest in the industry. In addition, Enterprise is leveraging its 41,000 FlexFuel vehicles by fuelling as many of those cars as possible with E85, and joining a partnership to help expand the number of E85 fuelling stations.

What are some of the common mistakes you have seen companies make when launching carbon reduction strategies?

One of the biggest mistakes is launching a carbon reduction program without first gaining employee buy-in. If corporate carbon reduction programs are going to work employees must understand and support them. Consequently, conducting clear internal communications is an essential first step for companies to take before launching carbon cutting initiatives.