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Multimedia: Green Marketing Conference 2009: 'We need to act fast'
IT was big day for seven-year-old Jack Taylor, from St Botolph's Primary School, as he opened, via videolink, the city's big event, the Green Marketing Conference 2009.
IT was big day for seven-year-old Jack Taylor, from St Botolph's Primary School, as he opened, via videolink, the city's big event, the Green Marketing Conference 2009.Jack explained that Peterborough is aiming to become the UK's Environment Capital so that younger generations have a planet in good condition to inherit.
Key guest speaker, environmentalist and writer, Jonathon Porritt continued this theme that we need to act fast before it's too late (listen to part of Jonathon Porritt's speach) .
He outlined three key themes in his speech.
First, that marketing has, historically, been bad news for the planet.
He said: "Marketers historically have spent their lives persuading people to do things that have screwed the planet, promoting unsustainable lifestyles. Marketing has been right up there in the pantheon of baddies.
"But the marketing world is beginning to change. Some of this change is simply greenwash – so superficial as to merit only contempt, an ambiguous veneer painted over fundamentally irresponsible ways of wealth creation. Increasingly the change is real and it's about changing the attitudes and behaviours of consumers as well as of all staff in the business."
Secondly is the need to act fast.
"We need to take action now before it's too late. But there is still time, I wouldn't be standing here wasting your time, and I certainly wouldn't waste my own, if I thought it was too late to make a difference. "The window of opportunity to change is shrinking though; it's uncomfortably short with only 10 to 15 years left. Don't let this panic you, fear without agency is worse than denial, let this information catalyse you into action. Business is at the heart of this action, the place where innovative solutions to our problems lie."
Finally, the responsibility is all of ours.
Mr Porritt said: "We all have this responsibility, it's a personal, moral choice all of us have. At the moment, we are all moral outlaws systematically furthering the destruction of the planet, putting in jeopardy the future of every young person in the world. And we do so unthinkingly, as part of our routine, every single day."
John Grant, author of The green marketing manifesto, talked of the urgency of climate change and the carbon footprint, when he said: "We can't see climate change as a slow decline; we need to see it as a car crash about to happen, if we don't put the brakes on now it will inevitably crash."
"Every pound spent in the economy today represents a kilogram of carbon whether it's spent on shoes or organic milk."
"The power to change things is largely down to marketers who can change perceptions and behaviour."
Sadie Ramm, of Ecover, was asked if in the recession people are opting for cheaper brands instead of Ecover?
"The rise of ecological 'own brands' in supermarkets is difficult for us for two reasons, firstly because this can mean we lose our shelf space, secondly people buy the own brand and it doesn't work and puts them off upgrading to Ecover which we know does work. Ecover isn't actually much more expensive than other leading brands – pence not pounds. But our customers are loyal, they buy because we are better for the environment and for their family environment too.".
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