Green Edge Workshops and Consulting Services

Build Your Sustainability Story and Leverage Your Green Edge  

 

By Sara Mears

 

This month we focus our Green Edge Sustainability Lens on marketing. Once your organization has achieved verifiable carbon footprint reduction goals and is ready to enjoy the myriad benefits that result, it is essential that you tell an authentic, compelling and memorable sustainability story to your stakeholders.

 

The following Green Edge Communication Guidelines illustrate how we think it should be done. Apparently the US Postal Service, a self-described "sustainabilty leader" agrees with us, as we demonstrate below. First some background about the Postal Service.  

 

 

USPS Recycling Program

US Postal Service 

 

Winner of more than 75 environmental awards, this venerable federal agency is the only shipper whose products have earned the rigorous Cradle to Cradle (C2C) certification.* Their green roof atop the Morgan processing center is the largest green roof in New York City. Other forward-thinking initiatives include electric delivery vehicles, a "Read, Respond, Recycle" recycling program and the "EnvironMAIList" campaign to promote sustainable direct mail practices.    

 

USPS C2C Packaging 

 

Green Edge Communications Guildelines 

 

Tell the whole story. Transparency when it comes to your vision, goals, and progress (both challenges and successes) will go a long way toward building credibility with your stakeholders. For example, USPS's Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan reports both positive and negative performance results and openly describes the financial, logistical, technical and cultural challenges the Postal Service is addressing as they work to achieve their goals.

 

Support your story with third party validation. You will gain trust and loyalty through full disclosure of information, particularly when it is validated by 3rd-party experts. In 2009, USPS became the first federal agency to obtain 3rd-party verification of its carbon emissions and publicly reports the results via The Climate Registry, a nonprofit organization that has established consistent and transparent standards to calculate, verify and publicly report greenhouse gas emissions.  

 

Brand initiatives, campaigns, and places. Creating names and visual identities for the components of your sustainability program gives your stakeholders a common language to understand, remember, and share. USPS's "Go Green Save Green", "Putting Our Stamp on a Greener Tomorrow," "Green Newsroom" and "Lean, Green Teams" are all good examples.

 

Illustrate process and results. It is often true that a picture is worth a thousand words. Images that illustrate your methodology and green initiatives will bring your story to life in the minds of your stakeholders. USPS's photo gallery shown below is a great example.   

 

Green Roof Gallery 

 

USPS Green Roof

The USPS New York City green roof is more energy

efficient than a traditional roof, and is saving the Postal Service $30,000 annually in heating and cooling costs.


Build industry alliances. No one can do it all and you can enhance your reputation through public-facing affiliations with trusted industry leaders and groups.For example, USPS is a charter member of The Climate Registry's "Climate Registered Reduction Program" and in 2008 joined 17 other member organizations to create and launch a global sector-specific carbon measurement system.

 

Given the Postal Service so successfully tells their story the GREEN EDGE WAY, it is no surprise the USPS was named "most trusted government agency" for six consecutive years. Let us help you tell your sustainability story so you can leverage your Green Edge to maximize enterprise value and enhance your organization's stature.

 
Sara Mears is Director of Marketing for Green Edge and as head of the Sustainability Communications Department, she helps clients create strategies, plans, and designs to effectively tell their green story.   

 

*For more information about C2C and other third-party eco-labels request a copy of Green Edge's original research report Making Sense of Multi-Attribute "Green" Certifications.)

 

  
We Look Forward to Hearing from You

If you have questions about anything you've read in this newsletter or if you are wondering how to meet your own green challenges, contact me and I will be happy to respond via email.

 
Warmly,
Ellen Sinreich Signature  
Ellen Sinreich
President

  Green Edge Workshops and Consulting Services 
greenedgellc.com

[email protected]
212 828 3840

Ellen SinreichEllen Sinreich is President of Green Edge, LLC, which helps organizations leverage the power of green through Green Edge Workshops and Green Edge Consulting.

FTC Guides Help Effective Green Communication

Green Claims

In 1992, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued
Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims to help marketers avoid making environmental claims that are unfair or deceptive. These Green Guides outline general principles that apply to all environmental marketing claims and also provide guidance on specific green claims, such as biodegradable, compostable, recyclable, recycled content, and ozone safe.  

 

The Commission amended the Guides in 1996 and again in 1998. Since then, however, concepts such as carbon footprint, carbon offsets, and renewable energy have emerged and new product certifications have been developed. The sustainability community eagerly anticipates the third update, likely to be released in Spring 2011. Check future Green Edge newsletters or blog posts for news of the official release.

 

For more information you can link to FTC's Green Guides Review or download a summary of the proposed update.


3rd-Party Certification Builds Brand Credibility

 

As a follow up to our research report Making Sense of Multi-Attribute "Green" Certifications, Green Edge will periodically review third party green certifications we believe relevant to our readers.

 

This month we focus on paper.  

 

Gree Paper 

Green paper procurement decisions will enable your organization to reduce its carbon footprint and positively impact the environment by supporting responsible forestry, reducing waste, minimizing energy and water use, and optimizing sustainable manufacturing.

 

There are many third-party "green" certifications of paper products including the Forest Stewardship Council's FSC Certification, Terrachoice's EcoLogo Certifcation and the Chlorine Free Products Association's Totally Chlorine Free and Processed Chlorine Free certifications. See Green Edge's recent blog post for more information.   

 

To add to this mix, there is a new "green" label for paper products, Ancient Forest Friendly (AFF), launched by the Canadian NGO Canopy. AFF is a hybrid designation (as opposed to an actual certification) indicating products that optimally meet the standards of other third-party certifications. As such, AFF claims to represent the "highest standard in the paper industry for protecting climate, biodiversity and ancient forests." The AFF mark reflects the following:

  • Maximized post-consumer recycled content
  • Any virgin fiber is FSC-certified (no controlled wood content)
  • Any remaining fiber is recycled or agricultural residue
  • Manufacturing is Processed Chlorine Free or Totally Chlorine Free

Visit canopyplanet.org for more information.  

Green Edge Workshops and Consulting Services

Green Edge Workshops and Consulting Services help you develop and leverage your Green Edge to maximize enterprise value. Basics, Signature and Premium Workshops can be tailored to meet your needs, budget, schedule and location.

If you have a green challenge you'd like to meet, contact us.

The Green Edge Newsletter

 

If you'd like your company to be featured in one of the next issues of the Green Edge Newsletter, we'd love to hear from you. We are always looking for great green stories to share with our community of clients, colleagues and friends.   

 

If you missed our previous issues, link to our archives home page or our blog.

 
The Green Edge Newsletter is published monthly by Green Edge, LLC.

EDITOR: Ellen Sinreich
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Sara Mears

Copyright � 2011 Green Edge, LLC