CB BureauAs the dust settles on the latest round of
climate negotiations at COP16 (UN Climate
Change Convention, Cancun), and with world expectations for a solution still at
an all-time low, it is timely for CSR practitioners”like everyone else”to
reflect on how we are all doing ‘our bit’ for the cause. As a prompt, ponder on
this quote for one moment:
‘National governments have their national
[sustainability] policies, but after all it is local governments who have to
implement these policies.’ (UN Secretary
General, Ban Ki-Moon, 2009)
For many, local councils are pivotal to the
delivery of sustainability, as every aspect of their role shapes how people
live their lives – from democratic elections to education, and planning and
waste collection. Climate adaptation, too, whether it is in relation to
building controls (energy efficiency) or flood defences (emergency planning).
This sentiment was recently reinforced by the European Union’s Committee of the
Regions, which went as far as to conclude that global
efforts to tackle climate change are destined to fail unless local authorities
are given a greater role.
So, now ask yourself this question: ‘Am I
confident that when my company did stakeholder mapping and issue scoping to
craft our climate strategy, we fully recognized the vital role of local
government in adaptation?’
If the answer is ‘no’, then you cannot
possibly be a CSR leader.
To make matters worse, this is a terrible
time for companies to sideline local government in the fight against climate
change. In a new age of austerity, national spending cuts mean that investment
in local adaptation efforts is being squeezed at the very same time that public
scepticism over the robustness of the science of climate change is on the
increase.
Wise CSR leaders may choose to ignore the
COP17 jamboree in late 2011 and, instead, take the opportunity to forge new
alliances with local councils that are both good for business resilience and
the planet.
One example is
helping to establish low-carbon
trade zones with land-use planners, such as that in Baoding, China, which
has assisted about 20,000 local people being employed in solar panel and wind
turbine production. Another example is agreeing to contribute toward a carbon
compensation levy when constructing new office buildings, such as that in
Milton Keynes, UK, whereby instead of investing in carbon-neutral new premises,
the developers fund local schemes such as insulation for older homes that are
much less energy-efficient.
So, what is holding your business back in
this kind of engagement? Your low awareness of local government? Your lack of
faith in working with town-hall managers? Or, is it just your shortsighted CSR
approach?
To get yourself
back on track, why not contact one of the 138 world mayors who signed a
climate pact in advance of COP16, to show national leaders how easy it is
to do a deal if one really wants to? I am sure your advances would be warmly
welcomed.
About
Philip Monaghan
Philip Monaghan is
author of the acclaimed new book Sustainability in Austerity, which has been praised by
respected commentators from the UN, Harvard, WWF and Accenture. He is a
strategist and change manager in the fields of economic development and
environmental sustainability. Philip has a degree in Economics and is presently
reading an MSc in Climate Change and Sustainable Development. He is a member of
the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA), and an elected Fellow of the Royal
Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).
Sustainability in Austerity has been written to provide
local leaders with a lifebelt in these turbulent times. It empowers local
authorities to address the challenges they now face – by offering a treasure
chest of cost-neutral and powerful ways for leaders in local government to
advance sustainability, as nations emerge from the global recession. The book
sets out the required rules for leadership and proposes myriad innovative
strategies for self-help achieved through habit-forming behaviour change among
council members, staff and local communities alike. The book has received
praise from respected commentators at the UN, Harvard, WWF, Accenture and
ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability. Further details at
http:/www.greenleaf-publishing.com/austerity.
Readers of CauseBecause can avail of a 10 per cent
discount off any discount already applied on the book’s online price. The code
is cause 345.