Karen Jenkin’s Blog

There is a groundswell of concern in the business world towards addressing the environmental and sustainability concerns of staff, customers and the world at large. The rise in carbon offsetting and tree planting initiatives (which deserve a separate discussion as to their long-term sustainability outcomes!) shows that business leaders are trying to grapple with how to make a difference.

However, as with all trends, there are some businesses that are simply riding the back of this green wave for their own self-interest. There are also businesses that think they’re doing the right thing, but just don’t seem to get it when it comes to making fundamental changes to how they or their industry operate. This is where government guidance, assistance and legislation can help. But not like this:

At the recent National Small Business Summit in Sydney, one of the Australian government departments had a booth with the following ‘Plant the seed for a green business’ promotional pack:

Extract from marketing blurb:

“By planting this seed, your business can make a green start, help the environment and gain customers searching for enviro-friendly businesses.”

What on earth were they thinking?! Whilst planting a tree has some merit, what was the environmental cost of all that packaging?

Whoever was in charge of this part of the ‘Greening your business’ campaign has completely missed the point and undermined any credibility the Department might have had in setting a good example for greening business. Alternatively, they’ve just jumped on the shameless self-promotion bandwagon for this hot topic. Regardless, it’s enough to put me off looking at their website to “discover more about how to green your business”.