Green PR is about more than tackling greenwash

When experts discuss which industries are to play a key role in tackling climate change, the PR industry is probably not high up their list.

But despite the criticism that the industry is often subjected to, you can still make a strong case for PR having a vital function in addressing the environmental agenda.

As mentioned previously in these columns, communications departments do not always handle environmental issues in a responsible fashion. The temptation to exaggerate and mislead is still very strong among some PR practitioners. But to focus solely on the problems of "greenwashing" would be to deny some of the profession's positive achievements in helping to drive environmental improvements.

In 2007, more than 10,000 articles appeared in UK national newspapers on the subject of climate change – and a great many of these were generated by PR professionals. And while some of this coverage may have resulted in mixed messages, the sheer volume of it has ensured that environmental issues are now firmly in the mainstream of public consciousness. That has to be a good thing.

Just like businesses, environmental charities and NGOs rely on PR to promote their schemes and to campaign on key issues. It is interesting that even NGOs are sometimes criticised for this. Greenpeace was pulled up recently in the media for "fudging the science" on global warming and flood risks by producing images of Spanish resort La Manga underwater due to forthcoming climate change. The image has had the effect of plunging property prices downwards, and investors are talking about suing the green group for their lost cash. But should we really be condemning Greenpeace for their tactics? The motivation for the PR stunt was sound – to bring home to people the very real consequences of climate change.

In fact, there are a number of campaigns driven largely by communications departments that have had a tangible positive impact on consumer behaviour.

Ariel's high-profile "Turn to 30” campaign, run in partnership with the Energy Savings Trust, is a good example. Before the campaign, many people believed that only washing at high temperatures would obtain good results – a real barrier to changing behaviour and delivering energy savings. By promoting the benefit of its cool cleaning technologies, Ariel was able to overcome these barriers, not only helping to reduce the carbon emissions associated with washing, but also saving consumers money at a time when energy prices were going up. Since the campaign's launch, it is claimed that a total of a million households have now turned to 30 degrees, resulting in an estimated reduction in energy use of 41 per cent.

Another prime example of PR playing a key role in environmental improvements is Marks & Spencer's (M&S's) Plan A sustainability campaign. The tagline "Because there is no Plan B", resonates so well with customers and employees that it will undoubtedly have helped drive greener behaviour in both employees and customers.

However, some commentators have criticised M&S for taking such a media-savvy approach. M&S says that it is precisely this high-visibility strategy which is helping to change consumer behaviour and inspire their employees and I am inclined to agree. Indeed, the M&S progress report released in May shows that overall CO2 emissions have declined nine per cent during the first financial year of Plan A, even though retail space rose by six per cent in the same period, as the company opened 103 new stores. The company has already achieved 17 of the 100 targets of Plan A and is on track to deliver many more.

M&S has a comprehensive plan compared with many major UK retailers, but the overall impact of its sustainability measures could soon be dwarfed by Tesco. Through its 1,800 UK stores, Tesco is in a position to reach millions of people. A core element to Tesco's sustainability programme is a PR drive to get customers to buy low-carbon products. Through price promotions and information campaigns Tesco has sold, for example, 10 million low-energy light bulbs since April 2007 – a fourfold increase on the previous year. Moreover, there are 11 million active Tesco loyalty cardholders in the UK, who all have the potential to earn Clubcard points by re-using carrier bags or buying more energy-efficient light bulbs.

PR can also help change business practices internally. I believe part of our job as consultants is to hold up a mirror to the businesses we work with, helping them to get an understanding of how the media and other stakeholders view their practices. By feeding in critical views as well as positive ones, we can help to drive change internally and win support from across other areas of the company.

In short, the communications industry has a particular opportunity to be part of tackling one of the greatest challenges our world has ever faced. As we have seen, it also has tremendous power in reaching people and influencing consumer behaviour. We should not forget that with this power comes a great responsibility – that of delivering transparent and honest communication.

Paul Thomas is a senior consultant at the CSR and sustainability division of international PR firm Trimedia