Most Influential CSR Tweets
It’s a good job my fingers can type because I’m speechless at the moment.
I’ve just paid a visit to wefollow.com and discovered yours truly as the #1 most influential CSR Twitterer and here’s the proof…
I became @davidcoethica and joined Twitter to find like-minded people, share information and learn whatever I could from any source I could find. Despite starting out with highly cynical expectations, as I couldn’t understand what you could possibly achieve with 140 characters, it has been a fantastic personal and professional journey. I never felt (and still don’t feel) comfortable pushing my own personality in front of the Coethica brand but my good friends at Agent Marketing promised me a good kicking if I didn’t.
To celebrate the new found power I’ve decided to offer three CSR wishes to all those in the Twittersphere that have put me at the top.
Leave your CSR wish as a comment below and next week I’ll pick the best three and wave my newly found wefollow magic wand and make them instantly come true.
To start the ball rolling here’s three from me:
- All shareholders start demanding triple bottom line accounting
- Marketing people really understand CSR
- All CSR conferences can be attended virtually
What’s your wish?
Fox News & US Chamber of Commerce Stung by Yes Men Climate Change Hoax
I’m Spartacus!
Who said politics, environment and commerce couldn’t be entertaining? Corporate activists, the Yes Men, managed to trick Reuters into relaying a story that the US Chamber of Commerce had rethought its position on climate change and had made a public announcement.
The first video here demonstrates the wonderful world of live entertainment. Fox News were caught out as a live reporter isn’t quite sure what his producer is telling him, like a hedgehog caught in the middle of a busy highway.
This next clip gets even better as we see the actual press conference, including confrontation with genuine US Chamber official. It’s astonishing to think it was that easy to pull off such a hoax but even better to see the US Chamber squirming. Who is the real US Chamber official? You can taste the uncertainity in the perplexed audience. I almost felt sorry for Eric Wohlschlegel, but not that much. He could have handled the situation much better, or at least not attempted to be the Lone Ranger. He cuts a lonely figure at a few points, literally and intellectually – watch for yourself…
It’s great, if painful to watch and wonderfully poignant, highlighting the US Chamber’s climate change stance for the absurdity that it is.
As for journalists not checking facts, do they ever?
I’ve not been slacking!
Hello Blogworld
Apologies for the trickle of postings lately but I’ve been distracted by agreeing to write for the CSR section of the Justmeans.com editorial section and working on an upgrade for all of Coethica’s online footprint.
I’m working hard behind the scenes to ensure I can get as many posts up on both sites and should soon have come to terms with managing this substantial writing committment!
Please head over to the Justmeans.com site and check it out to meet many like minded individuals and companies.
Don’t forget to say hello whilst you’re there!
David
Responsible Business Triage
I personally hate the thought of giving up on anybody but the triage process used by medics in emergency situations is maybe a good analogy for how we should address CSR awareness and engagement. Why flog a dead horse? Some individuals just don’t have the emotional intelligence and never will ‘get it’, no matter how much legislation, moral debate or evidence of potential return on investment is placed before them.
I’m not the type to shy away from a challenge and been told I have a reputation for being a little tenacious, but then being completely responsible for your business (and therefore the direct impacts on your family) plays its part in honing this personality trait. I set up my business to assist the group of business that sit between the now well supported social enterprises at one end and the well serviced corporate market. Why? Because nobody else was and it needed doing!
Now here’s the problem (challenge or opportunity dependent on your perspective); already established small to medium enterprise (SMEs) managers set in their ways. My position is pretty much the same today as it was 4 years ago. We shouldn’t sit back and allow SMEs to blindly operate in the same way for their own good and everybody else’s. How do I stimulate passionate, extremely focused entrepreneurial owner managers when they believe they have no spare time and no spare cash even if they did grasp the concept of CSR? The dinosaurs are out there, everybody knows at least one and I now know a few hundred.
There is an accelerating train of thought that we should completely focus our efforts on younger entrepreneurs who have grown up surrounded by a greater awareness of global issues such as climate change and access to information. This approach would mean giving up on some more ‘traditional’ business mindsets but does the environment or society have time to wait for the youngsters to come of age?
How much can really be done with today’s owners and managers, regardless of the size of their business? My question to you is should we give up on those who obstinately refuse to accept the additional pressures being placed on commercial operations? The market itself may overtake them as competitors identify a range of competitive advantages as CSR and sustainability reinforce their positions in mainstream management thinking? Younger and stronger values driven management may replace the traditional cost / price trading mentality but this will be at best a generational timeframe. The only effective tool left in the box for enforcing change within this cohort is legislation, but there are limits to how much can and should be forced onto so called free market economies.
My answer, for what it is worth, and it works, is to work with those who want to work with us rather than against us. Targeting the worst offenders to create change only works in rare cases, granted they are the best case studies you could ever wish for but buying a lottery ticket maybe a better investment of resources. If management concepts such as CSR are as effective as we tell everybody, in the absence of politics logic has a good chance.
A Green Football Pitch?
Here are a few questions about professional football (or soccer to those in the USA) that have piqued my CSR interest recently and need answering.
• 29.9 million* people attended a professional game in the UK last season – That’s one hell of a carbon footprint. How big is it, who cares and what is being done?
• Football related media is now dominated by gambling, alcohol and fast food brands – Is it really the right image for its large impressionable younger audience?
• Financial sustainability – How has football dealt with the recession and the impact of the influx of foreign ownership?
• Community projects – Football is quite aloof about its community programmes but is it just shallow PR or inefficient waste of money?
* Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance 2009
Let’s get one thing straight from the start, football is not by any stretch of the imagination the best training ground for great business leaders with vision. As soon as you walk into the entrance of any football facility the ‘mist’ descends. It has improved, but football is still awash with tribalism and an over abundance of testosterone effecting decisions. Football has the power to attract even the sanest people into roles that frequently churn up employees and spit them out onto the surreal merry-go-round within the industry. Ever seen a job advertised for a football club? Elvis gets spotted more.
I’ll get through each of the questions over a couple of posts throughout the season and keep one eye on any potential influence coming from the World Cup 2010 in South Africa and the London Olympics 2012.
Let’s start with the biggest picture…
Climate change and football – nope, you’ve probably never heard that combination of words before or will anytime soon. Considering the industry’s global impact and size of audience that scares and saddens me. Environmental issues only rarely make it onto the team sheet. Here are a few direct significant aspects that football collectively needs to immediately deliver improvements on:
• 29.9 million journeys to and from stadia, with many by car. Clubs don’t care how fans get there, just how they spend their cash when they do.
• Millions of pies warmed, beers chilled and match-day programmes & tickets printed, plus undersoil heating and floodlights all burning fuel.
• Millions of litres of water required for a 92 stadium pitches in addition to hundreds of acres of training and Academy facilities.
• 29.9 million people all flushing a toilet (but not at the same time – although sometimes the queues suggest otherwise).
• Thousands of tonnes of beer bottles, pie trays, soft drink cans, waste food, used tickets and merchandise wrapping mostly sent to landfill.
…and that is without considering the impact of suppliers and contractors, local authorities, Police, and hundreds of match day staff.
The biggest problem for the environment from football is that nobody is taking responsibility. The Clubs themselves should but I’ve already touched on the lack of foresight at most managerial (of administration not playing staff) levels. To avoid getting a yellow card here, I have to say that some clubs have taken their first steps, but not many at all, and not far enough. You’re lucky to unearth a basic environmental policy, so don’t bother looking for ISO 14001. Clubs only care about the traditional revenue streams not the ones with water in them.
It isn’t high on the strategy radar of the governing bodies either, and it can get quite confusing who does what (or would like to) out of the Premier League, Football Association, Professional Footballers Association, Football League and other peripheral organisations. As footballs largest single financier, SKY TV does proclaim carbon neutrality, so maybe they should give the clubs a half time roasting in the changing room. I’d pay to watch that in HD.
Business in the Community tried to influence the sporting world with their ‘Clubs That Count’ programme, which I advised on during the early stages but alas, that sadly fizzled out after only a couple of years due to a lack of interest from the clubs. I was always keen on a community / environment / ethical league competition but the rest of the clubs didn’t want to be on the bottom of any table!
Somebody needs to grab those running the game by the scruff of the neck and enforce improvement across all environmental areas. Football is mistaken to think that by doing, in real terms, a mediocre job of community engagement (which could be so much more inclusive and effective) it can offset their other responsibilities.
There is no extra-time for the enviroment, only penalties.
Update – Green Denial Amongst Smaller Business
To further reinforce the small business denial / avoidance of environmental management here is further evidence. This time legislation and taxes are surveyed as incentives to improve impact:
“Small businesses are divided over how effective green taxes are at promoting good environmental practices, a new survey has revealed.
The study, ‘Business and the Environment’, was carried out on behalf of the UK200Group by Middlesex University.
Almost a half of respondents (45 per cent) said that they agreed or strongly agreed that green taxes are a good way of encouraging businesses to adopt policies protective of the environment.
A similar split occurred on the issue of environmental regulation. Some 53 per cent agreed or strongly agreed with creating additional legislation to improve the environment, while 42 per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed.
Many firms, however, only have a broad idea of the existing environmental legislation as it applies to their business operations. While about half could recall the general thrust of environmental laws, only 45 per cent could name the relevant regulations.
Acting on their environmental concerns also appeared problematic for many firms.
The priority given to staff training (51 per cent) and to health and safety (46 per cent) outweighed reducing energy costs (a priority for 28 per cent of the firms polled) and cutting waste (21 per cent).
Asked whether they had green policies in place setting out their environmental aims and procedures, almost six out of ten (58 per cent) reported that they did not.”
Ok, hitting peoples wallets, or company finances is one way to reduce environmental impact, and yes, the other half will always shout vociferously about additional red tape and administrative burden, but any successful approach has to be carrot AND stick.
For me the heart of the problem lies in the question. If you ask an entrepreneur about the risks of environmental legislation you can guarantee a defensive response. The question (and therefore prompt) should be about environmental opportunities, i.e. how can your business tap into emerging green markets, can your product be a example of low carbon good practice, how can you exploit your environmental credentials to improve your brand position, etc.?
As I said in the initial post, entrepreneurs are by their nature immensely creative types, so why isn’t more effort centred on using this wealth of talent? Yet another example of the clash of cultures between private and public sectors.
Green Denial Amongst Smaller Businesses
Houston, we have a problem, and I mean we ALL have a problem.
The UK Environment Agency yesterday reported that more than 50% (from a sample of 7000) of small and medium sized businesses said “an environmental policy was of ‘no use’ to their business in the current climate.” The same research also showed a fall in the appreciation about their environmental impact.
Did you know approximately 99% of businesses in developed countries are small or medium sized? In the UK that means 59% (14 million people) of private sector employees and 52% (£1450 billion) private sector turnover in the UK. The potential scale and therefore impact of this problem, if such apathy within UK small and medium enterprises (SME) is similar around the globe it would be too depressing to comprehend. How much scarce energy, water and materials are being wasted in the name of economic survival?
Instead of blaming China and the rest of the developing world for all the future environmental damage how about picking on your neighbourhood hairdresser, restaurant, printers, taxi cab or plumber?
I’ve been banging on SME doors for a few years now trying by hook or by crook to plant ethical seeds by pushing a entrepreneurial approach to Corporate Social Responsibility (only very quietly whispering the C word, if at all) with the environment right at the top of my get-a-foot-in-the-door benefit list and it’s been bloody hard work. “You can save on costs, avoid fines, reduce waste, inspire employees, improve air quality, enhance energy security, appease investors, differentiate, save the planet, JUST DO IT”, you name it, I’ve tried every possible approach to every personality type to sell the green message with mixed results. Unfortunately in the real world there are too many people who just don’t care, or those with too much on their plate that very second to see the bigger picture unfolding across today’s media. To be fair most people don’t yet have the ability to translate the abstract concept of climate change to their own local scenario but that shouldn’t allow a breeding ground for apathy.
In SME speak it’s about answering the same old question, “What’s in it for me?” and in particular, this week. I know that times are hard for businesses of every size and survival is key, but I fear too many individuals are using the struggling economy as their latest excuse to avoid environmental responsibility. I’m also fed up with the majority of public sector business support agencies and their employees trying to engage with time poor entrepreneurs with little or no effect. They simply don’t communicate in the same language.
Now here’s the good news…
SME’s could save us all! The sheer volume of creativity, passion, invention, risk taking, innovation and stubbornness available within smaller businesses is ideal for finding solutions to difficult problems. We are already seeing SME fruit beared across the environmental technology sectors, but how do we inspire those who feel no daily tangible connection to our communal environmental woes such as the plumber, hairdresser, taxi driver or printer? Smaller businesses are a very tough audience but in my experience the biggest cynics can become your best champions, they just need a little personal attention.
You mission should you decide to accept it, is to challenge one local small business to take one extra green step and here’s a few ideas from an earlier blog from the series on CSR for Smaller Businesses.
Let me know how you get on, the economy and the planet depends on it.
Al Gore at TED Talks – Earth’s Climate Change Beating Heart
Al Gore’s latest video from TED Talks.
You have to see it! Great presentation in inimitable Al Gore style, especially the ‘clean coal’ media comparisons.
Please share with your networks!
Beyond Sport Summit – Desmond Tutu Impersonates Bono
Highlights of the Beyond Sport Summit, London, July 9th 2009.
It’s been well over 3 years since I left Everton Football Club and the England Amputee Squad to set up Coethica and sport has been something of an absent friend. The worlds of professional sport and embedded CSR have never truly been properly introduced. There are pockets of excellent community engagement but much room for improvement.
On the top floor of City Hall in London during a beautiful summer’s evening I stood surrounded by the great and the good of sport, government, business and charity. I was at the Beyond Sport London Legacy Awards as part of a inaugural Beyond Sport Summit. The highlight of the evening, apart from Ebony Horse Club winning the £60,000 prize was the vision that was the handshake between the eccentric Mayor of London Boris Johnson, a slightly hunched figure with bright blond hair dried in a wind tunnel and Dikembe Mutombo, an ex-professional basketball player standing at least 7ft 6in wearing shoes that were a length a clown would envy.
The next day was my focus but the third in a programme of events aimed at highlighting the role that sport does and could play in society. I wasn’t really sure what to expect as I’d never heard of the Summit until I was directed to the website and found myself hopefully impressed with the format, the partners and especially the speakers. With brands such as TIME, Virgin, Barclays and UNICEF paired with personalities like ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair, Desmond Tutu, Lord Puttnam CBE, Ian Thorpe, Michael Johnson, Kofi Annan and Richard Branson as only highlights, I had to find out more!
The main conference day was introduced by Beyond Sport supremo Nick Keller and compared by the wonderfully passionate Kevin Carroll. The day began well with Tony Blair coming over confidently and nailing the theme for the day with “Sport has the capacity to transcend your own personal environment” which was a much welcome breath of fresh air over the old ‘power of sport’ cliché, even if it is true.
I love the film Chariots of Fire, and its Director and ex-President of UNICEF UK, Lord Puttnam, offered jaw dropping statistics from a global perspective such as “93% worlds problems are caused by men” defining the need for the education of women & girls through sport and making half the room feel guilty. I was eagerly anticipating his opinion of the relationship of Barcelona Football Club and UNICEF, with their at the time unique shirt sponsorship agreement. Lord Puttnam found it hard to hide a wry smile when stating that in many ways it was “The greatest investment Barca ever made” and even more so when gloating “the Barcelona players were proud to wear UNICEF on their shirts. Were the players at Manchester United as happy with AIG on theirs?” I wonder if we’ll ever find out how much indirect additional revenue was generated by such a relationship for both parties? Not so much “show me the money” but more of “show me the way to the money” (with a nice added twist of morals).
Having broken 22 world records, Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe obviously knows how to get through water, quickly. Although the success in the pool was stunningly impressive, I was even more astonished to learn that he set up his own charity at the meagre age of eighteen called Fountain of Youth. His passion and eloquence shone brighter than any gold medal as he set off like a ‘Thorpedo’ on a 15 minute mission to educate the audience about the plight of Aboriginal life expectancy against a backdrop of Australian politics.
Throughout the proceedings, and it was refreshing to have them spread out in bitesize chunks, there were many commendable projects receiving gongs. Amongst the list was the ‘Best CSR in Sport’ Award going to Deloitte’s for their Disability Sport Programme, which didn’t exactly impress from the information provided, but then it’s an area I know a little about and I’m not easily impressed without thorough evidence. For a full list of winners and nominees please take the time to visit the Beyond Sport website for inspiration.
Doug Ulman, CEO of Livestrong brought a more sombre moment to the event with a very personal account of the ‘3 scariest words you can hear – you have cancer.’ A brief word from the man himself, back in the saddle to raise the profile of cancer awareness once more, was relayed via recorded video as he was a little busy with a race or something in France.
After an embarrassingly botched introduction that almost had Lewis Pugh introducing Lewis Pugh (including stern command vocally projected toward those in charge of the media), The Human Polar Bear gave us a fantastic story of his record 1km swim (in just Speedos!) at the North Pole. If you think you could do that I’d like to give you a few example temperatures; your local indoor swimming pool is about 27 degrees, the English Channel is about 18, the water around the sinking Titanic was 5 and the North Pole is minus 1.7! ‘That’s fucking freezing!’ the environmental campaigner announced to wake up the crowd after lunch.
The man with the most infectious chuckle in the world, oh, and also one of modern day’s most prominent spiritual leaders Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, obviously enjoyed his interview by Sir Michael Parkinson. The rapport was wonderful and the discussion covered both rugby’s and cricket’s part in apartheid ‘biting the dust’. In 1995 the South African won the rugby because they had an extra player (God) with ‘90% of the crowd cheering Nelson Mandela. The same people used to call him a terrorist.’ Considering this man played such a crucial role in overcoming one of humanity’s most darkest regimes his almost childlike (especially for a man of a very respectful age) sense of fun was captivating, even for a religious sceptic such as myself. ‘I think I look like Bono’ he quipped about the stage mic along his cheek.
Many well known names played their part appearing like cameos in movies including Michael Johnson, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, HRH Prince Al Hussein of Jordan, Lucas Radebe, Rt Hon Tessa Jowel MP, Dame Kelly Holmes, Richard Branson (absent), and Kofi Annan (picking up the Humanitarian Award via video). Overall it was a fantastic inaugural event. It definitely would have benefited from more emphasis on environmental considerations, especially with Copenhagen around the corner. I for one can’t wait to find out where the next host city will be for such an entertaining and intellectually challenging summit. Well done Nick and all at Beyond Sport!
Beyond Sport Update
Want to change the world?
Today saw the launch of the new Beyond Sport World network – to join the party go to www.beyondsportworld.org
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Hidden Pressure For Voluntary Groups From Private Sector
I’ve noticed a worrying trend lately within charities, social enterprises and community groups losing trustees and supporters from the Private sector due to the increasing demands of these individual’s day jobs during the current economic trials and tribulations. So, not only are these vital players within our communities losing financial donations as budgets get tighter, they’re also struggling for bodies and knowledge.
With only scarce signs of the economic downtown bottoming out and any recovery still on the distant horizon, how will charities survive this withering of support?
I can speak from a very personal and daily battle with the moral dilemma of being able to offer the commitment I personally feel is appropriate – and as something of a perfectionist has been a lifelong challenge for me – and not allowing any negative ramifications due to multiple time demands. As the Chairman of one community regeneration project (Enable) and Trustee of a charity (Liverpool Habitat for Humanity) on top of running a business (Coethica) and being a father and husband, every day is a stressful time management conundrum with no real end in sight.
If ever there was a need for more people to step up to the voluntary plate it is now. The UK does have a marginally reticent cultural approach to volunteering compared to the USA say, but there is a growing imperative to further engage with those with the passion, skills, commitment and enthusiasm to support projects of every shape and size. Let’s be very honest here, the Public Sector cannot and should not be expected to solve any country’s social problems alone. Any Government’s role is best exploited as facilitators. The Voluntary sector is key to social cohesion assisted by a healthy dose of socially aware Private sector businesses engagement (more needed please – sign up for help here!)
Every single person, regardless of job, age, skills, colour, race, religion has skills and some spare capacity essential to a good cause within your own area. The gaps in the UK appear to be the awareness of the opportunities, how accessible these are and the benefits for playing your part (whether you want them or not!)
In times of crisis and hardship we all have to prioritise both ourselves as individuals and our families, it’s called survival, but there are countless millions that are needed right now, today, to shore up fragile projects in your community.
Many businesses do allow volunteering on work time, but not enough encourage individuals to offer their own time out of a work setting. Schools need Governors, charities need Trustees, and every good cause needs bodies and hands to help keep their heads above water. There are many, many benefits of helping out a local cause confidence building, networking, learning new skills in addition to the obvious moral reward from giving something back, so why not get stuck in?
If your company wants more help with improving their volunteering programme I know a company that can help or if you are an individual who wants to get involved with a local good cause try Googling ’volunteer’ for more local information. If your based in Canada / USA check out Chris Jarvis’ blog www.realizedworth.com for some great advice.
Or if you know a good cause that needs help leave a comment here with what you need. You never know who is reading!
Please forward this post on to your friends. We need to get more people volunteering now!
