Archive

Sustainability

  • What we learned from our panel discussion on sustainability regulation and communications in 2024

    January 30, 2024

    It’s difficult to do justice in just one blog, to a one-hour conversation with four experts that covered the highs and lows of sustainability communications, but in the following words we certainly try! On Thursday 25th we hosted, Justine Grimley from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), Louisa Humm from Chivas Brothers, Alex Lawson from The Guardian and our very own Holly Rouse, to talk about the future of sustainability regulation and communication in 2024. The...

  • It’s time we stop pitting purpose and profits against each other. Here’s how communications can help – Lessons learned from Sustainability Live

    September 15, 2023

    Last week, FleishmanHillard’s Climate & Sustainability unit treated themselves to two days out at Sustainability LIVE, London. The event was a refreshing breath of optimism, determination (and sunshine!), a marked shift away from the doom and gloom we too often see in headlines – particularly for climate and sustainability news. The sustainability and ESG event was also a powerful reminder of the job to be done to drive meaningful sustainable change and importantly, of the...

  • Sustainability, Communications & Climate Confusion

    July 20, 2023

    This month, FH London's climate and sustainability unit reveal whether today's shopper is still prioritising sustainability as part of their purchasing decisions and what they want to hear from brands and businesses when it comes to sustainability claims on pack. Despite today’s tough economic climate, encouragingly over half (55%) still feel that sustainability is important with 51% prepared to pay more for products with an environmental benefit. Consumers are also clear about where they want...

  • ESG doublespeak: Back to basics and corporate culture

    November 23, 2022

    In post 3. “The authenticity gap”, we honed in on how the 'feel-good' acronym ESG is marketed, why, and some of the unintended consequences. We now take ESG back to basics, with the connection between externalities and reputation, and the role played by corporate culture. Blinded by a thicket of ESG metrics, targets and ratings, managers can miss the point of why they measure in the first place: i.e., to ensure that their business endures...

  • COP27 Review: Global action slows despite notable successes

    November 21, 2022

    Michael Hartt, Senior Partner and Head of International Affairs  Despite the intense last-minute wrangling as COP27 carried on for two days beyond its scheduled close, the summit yielded little in the way of major breakthroughs. While the commitment to a loss and damage fund deserves celebrating, the failure to reach agreement in other key areas will likely leave delegates disappointed by the final text and dismayed that the goal of limiting global heating to 1.5C...

  • COP27 Reflections: Transforming Trade to Accelerate Climate Action

    November 18, 2022

    Tim Harding, Associate Director and International Trade Lead  COP27 has been framed as being all about implementation, with delegates looking for substantial but practical solutions to a challenge of immense scale: A report commissioned by the UK and Egyptian governments estimated developing nations will require $2 trillion per year by 2030 for energy transition alone. International trade can play a pivotal role driving climate improvement and make progress on this implementation gap, if only governments...

  • COP27 Reflections: Authentic communication is critical to maintaining public belief in corporate engagement

    November 17, 2022

    Imogen Sackey, Associate Director, Corporate Reputation & Purpose; and Anthea Flint, Director, Consumer Almost half of consumers either don’t know which business commitments to believe in or don’t trust companies on climate change and sustainability issues. Given 64% of the British public believe business is accountable for helping to tackle climate change, this lack of credibility is worth paying attention to. Looking at the journey to COP27 and engagement on the ground, it is perhaps easy...

  • ESG doublespeak: The authenticity gap

    November 16, 2022

    My last post, 'Knowing the score', highlighted how companies might assess CSR-bang for ESG-buck and how third-party ratings can play a role in the trouble with ESG. We’ll now hone in on how the 'feel-good' acronym is marketed, why, and the unintended consequences. Register to join us on Wednesday 30th November from 2-3 PM (GMT) to explore the role of communications in disentangling ESG at a time when sustainability has never been higher on the...

  • FleishmanHillard COP27 Reflections: Youth take their seat at the table

    November 15, 2022

    Jamal Johnson, graduate trainee, Consumer Brand, Youth & Culture Week one of COP27 was dominated by the arrival of world leaders and negotiations to scale up the investment needed to tackle the climate crisis. And while this COP feels a little lacklustre in comparison to years past (including the notable absence from Greta Thunberg), the voice of youth staked a new claim at the Summit with the first-ever dedicated COP platform. On Wednesday, a dedicated...

  • COP27 Reflections: Some optimism, need for action and transparency in net zero

    November 14, 2022

      Carly Hilkin, Director, Corporate Reputation & Purpose Heading into COP27 this year, I, like many I expect, felt cynical. How could you not be? However, watching the first week of conference headlines has struck a slightly different chord. The “implementation COP” has already seen multiple noteworthy successes: Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottle’s innovative “Bridgetown Agenda” outlining solutions to providing more climate finance was broadly well-received, multiple countries announced new regulations for tackling emissions, and...

OLDER