Global creative communications group DRPG released its latest investigative whitepaper: Sustainability vs Carbon Offsetting for public download on 21 April 2022. The seventh whitepaper from DRPG explores the emerging dynamic between sustainability, carbon offsetting, the road to net zero 50 and other global environmental targets.
Brought together by the integrated Research and Insights team within DRPG, the study aims to inform communications professionals on audience perceptions, and the impacts that messaging has regarding actions towards sustainability; both internally within business and externally within the media.
Callum Gill, Head of Research and Insights explains, “The alarming trend we have observed while exploring numerous studies and dedicated surveys for this piece is that carbon offsetting conversations are happening at the expense of the broader sustainability focus.
“The offsetting narrative is gaining traction over traditional sustainability focuses and approaches because of several reasons. Our aim in this whitepaper is to explore those reasons and look at some of the dangers they pose to communications professionals who are the custodians of brands’ internal and external perception.”
CEO of DRPG, Dale Parmenter also commented, “It’s fantastic that we’re talking so much about the environment within the communications sector at present. However, it’s alarming to read some of the statistics that we have uncovered, with a staggering figure of approximately 40% of the public not knowing whether sustainable practices or carbon offsetting are better for the planet. It’s now simply not enough to just have a sustainability policy in place, or to adopt a blanket offsetting approach to detract from poor planning.
“Real and tangible actions need to be demonstrated as our industry moves to reduce its environmental impact, and measurement is at the heart of this. We should think about People, Planet and Profit collectively, we wouldn’t consider not measuring our financial success, so why shouldn’t we then measure how we manage our people or the impact we have on the planet.”
The Whitepaper was published on International Earth Day, an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. In the same week that saw DRPG also being honoured with the 2022 Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development, in recognition of its best practice when it comes to social and environmental efforts within the creative communications and events industries.
CLICK HERE to download the whitepaper.
