A survey of hundreds of marketing professionals has revealed that three-quarters have worked on sustainability-related communications recently, despite many feeling that they are not qualified to do so. Conducted by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), the survey polled 203 marketers to garner their experience delivering campaigns to communicate their clients’ environmental initiatives. Most said their clients are increasingly looking to carry out this kind of work with over three quarters (76%) saying they have worked on at least one sustainability-focussed campaign in the past five years and a further 45% agreeing they have come under pressure from clients to provide more ‘green’ marketing. This increases the risk of greenwashing.
New proprietary research from the UK’s leading corporate sustainability platform, SaveMoneyCutCarbon, has uncovered that less than a fifth of UK businesses (18%) have sustainability as a central training process at their place of work.
Greenwashing amongst UK companies remains a major threat to consumers’ environmentally conscious ambitions, as only 1-in-40 businesses have fully adopted ‘gold-standard’ net-zero targets. The result of this can be observed through the number of employees leaving their jobs, as a new report from KPMG found that 20% of UK office workers would turn down a job if environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors were deemed lacking. Contributing to this, SaveMoneyCutCarbon’s new study shows that this also prevents people from applying for jobs with 19% (9.9 million) of UK employees actively avoiding companies that do not prioritise sustainability.
In a bid to prevent the number of businesses and their marketing campaigns from being targeted by new litigation, SaveMoneyCutCarbon has launched an industry-first programme, EcoWise, which allows organisations to audit, document and track their ESG credentials, whilst rewarding staff for engaging in sustainable practices. Mark Sait, sustainability expert and CEO/founder of the service, comments on the importance of transparency and genuine commitment to sustainability to avoid accusations of greenwashing, and further, how the new innovative platform goes some way in contributing to meaningful environmental impact.
What is EcoWise?
Heralding a much-needed solution for the estimated five million small businesses at risk of going under, SaveMoneyCutCarbon’s EcoWise offers a year-long course for employees and business owners to track in real-time their contributions to reaching net zero. Consisting of carbon literacy assessments and educational articles, explicitly informing how staff can go about inciting change in their behaviour to be more sustainable, users are able to gain rewards, or Planet Points for them to spend in the Home Shop, at their leisure. Companies can then see quantifiable data on the progress of companies ESG strategies so they can see their progress in real-time.
EcoWise provides the tools and technologies to make these changes unlike any other platform – from eco-friendly daily consumable swaps to a full home retrofit. Set to launch in app stores in June, the application offers customer support and financing to remove all existing barriers to net zero.
Mark Sait, the CEO/founder of SaveMoneyCutCarbon, comments on why the responsibility of taking action on climate change lies in the hands of business owners, HR and training staff:
“As the frontiers of the climate emergency close in, it’s no surprise that for the population at large, awareness is stiffening into action. Working at a company without a meaningful plan to reduce its environmental impact is simply a no-go for many job seekers. For employees, frustration at their own organisation’s lack of development is leading to a new phenomenon: climate quitting.
“Employers must understand the generations who are increasingly turning away from roles who do not prioritise ESG goals, but further to continue to drive progress on the challenges that matter most to them. This will not only help boost productivity and retain talent—it will ultimately build trust and value for business in society more broadly.
“Our young generation of workers are looking for employers that can help empower them to make a difference. Organizations that actively listen and help address their needs and concerns will improve business resiliency and implement actionable change in our world.
“Climate quitting then is a natural symptom of the wider problem. In order to guard against this phenomenon effectively, businesses can’t knock back a few painkillers – they need to treat the root cause.”
About SaveMoneyCutCarbon
SaveMoneyCutCarbon is the go-to partner for sustainability. They help businesses and consumers take practical steps to a more sustainable future by providing products, solutions and expertise to support your entire range of ESG and financial goals. Their promise is in their name; it reflects the clear, no-nonsense way they go about our work. Delivering more than 1,000 sustainability projects saved customers millions of pounds off their bottom line and 27 million kilowatts of energy last year alone. SaveMoneyCutCarbon supplies over 75 leading technologies across solar, lighting, water solutions and more to make your operations as low-cost and planet-friendly as possible – all with a single partner.
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