ESG / CSR
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Ecology
Greenly solutions
As the go-to carbon accounting platform, Greenly is able to help companies accurately measure their carbon footprint, as well as provide expert advice on steps to reduce their emissions. Greenly makes the whole process simple and as pain free as possible. And after all this effort, Greenly’s expert marketing team can then help a company to effectively communicate their sustainability plan to their stakeholders - bringing with it a whole host of benefits.
👉 In this article we’ll examine the reasons that companies should communicate their sustainability plan and look at how Greenly can help with this.
First up, let’s start with a reminder of the Greenly process and what Greenly can do for your company.
Carbon management can be time consuming, complex and expensive. Greenly offers an affordable solution that helps to simplify the process by combining technology with expert advice and monitoring. Greenly’s intuitive platform and personalised dashboard integrates company and supplier data allowing the company to get an accurate picture of its carbon emissions in real time. Climate Experts are also on hand to support the process by offering expert advice and insights, and guiding companies as they start on their carbon reduction journey.
What this carbon reduction journey will look like is different for every company. What’s consistent however is the support from Greenly. Our experienced team will be on hand to help establish a customised action plan that is adapted to each individual client and their goals. Through every step of the way, Greenly’s experts are on hand to guide companies through the actions required to reduce their carbon emission and to achieve the various certifications and labels that prove their commitment and hard work.
And after all this effort, Greenly is there to help companies communicate their sustainability plan with their stakeholders. Because such great work shouldn’t go unnoticed!
Communicating a company’s sustainability plan goes beyond simple pride over what they’re achieved, it’s actually really important. There are a number of reasons for this:
Times have changed, it’s not enough for companies to ignore issues such as climate change anymore. Customers, clients, investors and employees alike increasingly expect - and actively seek out - companies that are taking responsibility for their environmental impact and adopting strategies to improve their carbon footprint. Recent studies support this: research by KMPG found that as much as 20% of UK office workers have turned down a job based on ESG considerations.
Companies who communicate their sustainability goals with their stakeholders add meaning and purpose to their business. This helps to increase engagement and retention rates, and can even lead to new business opportunities.
Companies are always on the lookout for ways to differentiate their brand. In competitive, and often crowded markets, this differentiation can make a big difference when it comes to attracting new customers, clients or investors.
Since consumers are increasingly switched on when it comes to the carbon footprint of their purchases and are cynical about a company’s ‘green intentions’, open and transparent communication by a company on their sustainability actions can offer a competitive advantage. Still sceptical? Research shows that 71% of consumers prefer to spend more on a company that is committed to climate action.
ESG investing isn’t exactly new, but has seen a huge soar in popularity recently. What this means is that investors are no longer making investment decisions based on purely financial factors, they’re beginning to consider the environmental and social impact of their investment - ie. they care about the environmental and social impact of the companies they’re investing in.
This presents an opportunity for companies who are actively doing their part to reduce emissions and embed sustainable business practices in their operations. Effective communication of these actions could potentially attract new investors.
Greenwashing is a growing issue and companies are increasingly using vague (and often incorrect) ‘green claims’ to push their services or products - from car manufacturers, to airline companies, to producers of cleaning products, no industry is untouched by what is essentially misleading advertising.
Thankfully, governments and regulators around the world are waking up to the harm that greenwashing causes and are acting to protect consumers. In some countries companies now face the threat of significant fines when it comes to misleading environmental claims.
This is why openly communicating a company’s sustainability plan and sustainability actions is so crucial - it fosters transparency and openness and protects companies from accusations of greenwashing.
While some of the other reasons for communication of a company’s sustainability plan may result in financial gain, the advantages are more than purely commercial. By communicating on sustainability actions, companies can have a genuinely positive impact on the world around them. Their actions help to raise awareness of environmental issues and may motivate others to start on their own carbon reduction journey.
Now that we’ve outlined the importance of communicating a company’s sustainability plan, how exactly can Greenly help with this?
Greenly’s experienced marketing team have the resources needed to help companies promote their environmental efforts. Our communication kit enables clients to share their commitment to the fight against climate change without the risk of mistakenly falling into the trap of greenwashing.
We’re the first to admit that the different terminology surrounding sustainability can be confusing - for example, many companies use the terms net zero and carbon neutral interchangeably without realising that there’s an important difference. This is why Greenly’s help can be so invaluable. Our Climate Experts have the knowledge and experience to make sure that companies communicate accurately and effectively. Let’s take a closer look at how this is achieved…
Once Greenly has completed a company’s carbon footprint report it will issue a ‘Carbon Footprint Certificate’ which testifies to the fact that a company has taken the first step in its carbon reduction journey by calculating its carbon emissions.
In line with Greenly’s communication plan, five days after the certificate is issued the client will highlight this great achievement by publishing this certificate on their Linkedin account (and other social media accounts that it may have), letting the entirety of their network know that they’ve made the first effort to reduce their carbon footprint.
Greenly takes this a step further, by also announcing the collaboration on our own Linkedin account - and with over 800 clients, our network is substantial!
Greenly works in partnership with the company to create a case study, highlighting the work that the business is doing to track its carbon emissions and to reduce its impact on the environment.
Greenly’s communication team will draft an initial case study proposal before sending it directly to the company for review and editing. Once the client company is happy with it, Greenly will then share a link to the case study allowing the company to highlight it on their own website, so that stakeholders have a better understanding of what its sustainability plan involves.
👉 Why not take a look at some of our existing client’s case studies, and see the great work that they’re doing.
Companies can opt to go one step further by commissioning a personalised video shoot, giving them the chance to talk directly to stakeholders about their climate strategy.
Greenly makes the process simple by taking care of every aspect of the video's production, from the provision of a journalist to frame the questions, to a team who will shoot the professional video on site. Greenly takes away any stress of organising the video interview.
One year later Greenly will work with the client to provide an update and progress report. This is a great opportunity for companies to share an update on all the work they’ve been doing over the year to reduce their carbon emissions, as well as the results they’ve seen.
Whether a company has yet to take its first step towards reducing its carbon emissions, or whether it’s already worked with Greenly to create a carbon footprint report, communication of a company’s sustainability plan is crucial when it comes to building trust with stakeholders and ensuring transparency.
Greenly’s experts are on hand to make the whole process run smoothly and to lend credibility and weight when it comes to communicating on a sustainability plan. So why not reach out to talk with one of our experts today.
At Greenly we can help you to assess your company’s carbon footprint, and then give you the tools you need to cut down on emissions. Why not request a free demo with one of our experts - no obligation or commitment required.
If reading this article has inspired you to consider your company’s own carbon footprint, Greenly can help. Learn more about Greenly’s carbon management platform here.
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