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Relationships between a company and the environment can present either
a threat or an opportunity. They amount to a threat if a company is perceived
by its stakeholders to have a negative or damaging impact on the environment.
They offer an opportunity if the company's behaviour demonstrates that
the environment matters, to its employees, its suppliers, its shareholders
and its customers.
Only an old-fashioned company completely ignores the environment in this
modern world. Most commercial organisations are aware of the thrust of
the Environmental Protection Act 1990 -- that "the polluter pays".
As cost control is vital to corporate profitability, unnecessary pollution
can be expensive in terms of finance and reputation, so it makes sense
to keep pollution to a minimum.
Many companies have derived positive benefit from good environmental behaviour
and practice. A company with a notably green reputation will find it easier
to attract high quality staff, especially graduate applicants. Its shareholder
meetings will not be targets for noisy environmental protesters. Its planning
applications for new development are less likely to be opposed by local
councillors.
Above all, good environmental behaviour needs to be at the heart of corporate
communications programmes, so that the key target audiences are made aware
that environmental impact is positive rather than negative. To some audiences,
and customers, this is more important than sports or arts sponsorship.
It must be real not fake, thought through rather than impulse, and be seen
to work. It is also good PR.
In its dialogue with councillors and local residents, Chelgate is able
to provide a deep understanding of how local communities function, which
can only be gained by working "on the ground".
Chelgate has a separate environment unit, staffed by consultants with
specialist knowledge and experience of environmental issues. The unit was
established in 1989, as the Green Party took 15% of the poll in the European
Elections, and as the Environmental Protection Act was being steered into
legislation by Chris Patten. The unit is led by Nick Wood-Dow, who is Deputy
Chairman of the Environment Council and founder/chairman of the pressure
group Tory Green Initiative. Nick has experience in local government, where
he was a borough councillor in Surrey; in national government, where he
was a parliamentary candidate and an adviser to a minister; and in the
European Union, where he was a press officer and has organised many presentations
to MEPs in Brussels and Strasbourg.
Chelgate Environment has a record of success in advising a number of companies
and organisations on environment campaigns:
- AIR QUALITY
- LITTER AND WASTE MANAGEMENT
- RURAL LEISURE
- ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
- OIL AND GAS
- RENEWABLE ENERGY
- NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
- GOING FOR GREEN
- ENVIRONMENT AND TRANSPORT
- LOCAL GOVERNMENT
- BUSINESS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
- INTERNATIONAL ISSUES
- GREEN MARKETING
- EUROPE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
- CLIMATE CHANGE LEVY
- EMISSIONS TRADING
Conclusion
It is widely accepted that the environment matters to business and commerce,
to trade associations and trade unions, to shareholder groups and voluntary
organisations. Chelgate has developed valuable expertise and experience
in this area, which many clients have found has added value to their-day-to
day operations - and to their bottom line. From a website to an annual
report, from a corporate profile to an employee newspaper, references to
good environmental behaviour can reap substantial rewards, and Chelgate
Environment can help organisations achieve these goals.
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