In the world of sustainability communications, it seems that Australia is playing catch up. At least that’s what the head of one global sustainability consultancy has to say.
Publicis Groupe-owned Salterbaxter reports that when it comes to communicating sustainability, companies need to pay attention to greenwashing and grey washing – both of which are seriously holding companies – and global progress – back.
UK-headquartered sustainability consultancy Salterbaxter has launched in Australia, offering end-to-end sustainability consultancy services, materiality assessments, ambition modelling, goal-setting and strategy development, implementation roadmaps, creative activations, communications and reporting.
According to Publicis Groupe ANZ CEO Michael Rebelo, although Australian businesses are now starting to invest in sustainability strategies, they are lacking the level of engagement needed to drive action.
The business saw a gap in the market and an opportunity to bring its Salterbaxter brand down under, joining Publicis Groupe office in Pyrmont.
The team will be led by Skye Lambley, chief executive officer of Herd MSL. The team also includes Stuart Wragg, Karen Dunnicliff, Rebecca Zemunik, and global managing director Kathleen Enright.
Publicis Groupe ANZ chief executive Michael Rebelo said: “There is a real sense of urgency to act on sustainability in Australia because we’re playing catch up. We’re living with the effect of inaction on climate change and inequality all around us.”
“Although ANZ businesses are investing heavily in sustainability strategies, if they don’t bring credibility and creativity together from the outset, they won’t create the level of engagement needed to drive action, deliver on their targets and build reputation and revenue.”
Ms Lambley said: “We’ve been watching the industry fall over themselves to engage on sustainability as the issue leaps to the top of the strategic agenda. But Australia doesn’t need another sustainability communications practice. This is too important – organisations need a robust way to connect the dots, drive transformative agendas and deliver real action.”
Mr Enright said that greenwashing and grey washing are real problems in the world of sustainability communication, and are holding back progress on sustainability.
“The problem we’re seeing globally is that on one end of the scale, far too much potential for progress is being shackled by a lack of creative thinking and on the other end you get brands making unsubstantiated claims or getting lost in a wash of generic ‘green’ claims.
“Greenwashing is the result of creativity without the necessary credibility to back it up and grey washing is the result of credibility without the necessary creativity to bring it to life.”
The company is owned by Publicis Groupe, which also owns marketing and advertising agencies and businesses including Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis Sapient, Leo Burnett, Starcom, Zenith and Herd MSL.
Australian clients include Westpac Group, Toyota, Procter & Gamble, Visa, Arnott’s, Kellogg’s, Suncorp, Aldi, Ampol, and several government departments and agencies.
