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Shedding Light on The Challenges Marketing Teams Face On Their Net Zero Journey

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I was privileged to be part of a panel discussion with experts on 6 December 2023, where we shed light on the challenges sales & marketing teams in B2B organizations face on their journey to Net Zero – based on the latest business research commissioned by Hattrick in partnership with The Carbon Literacy Trust.

We delved into some of the complexities businesses are navigating and discussed what’s needed for organizations to make genuine progress on their sustainability journey.
Facilitated by Josh Pitman from Priory Direct, the panelists were:
– Phil Korbel, Co-founder/Director of Advocacy at The Carbon Literacy Project
– Sangeeta Waldron, Founder/Owner of Serendipity PR & Media and author of the acclaimed book ‘Corporate Social Responsibility is not Public Relations’
– Christos Tsaprounis FCIPD (he/him), People & Culture Leader, Auto Trader UK
– And Malin Cunningham, Founder/Owner of Hattrick | B Corp™ certified
You can watch here:

Download the report here!

Podcast – Where Does It Come From

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They say there’s no rest for the wicked and it’s true! Soon after the Business Show, I did a podcast conversation with Jo Salter, host of the Where Does It Come From podcast about greenwashing, corporate social responsibility (CSR), fast fashion, the power of local communities, fake news, and of course my book, CSR Is Not PR.

So if you have time, do have a listen to my dulcet tones and let us know what you think!

Come See Me At The Business Show – 22 & 23 November, 2023

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I will be in the hot seat with business journalist Ben Walker at The Business Show in London on 22 November at 1.15 pm in Theatre 7 at London Excel, talking about CSR Is Not PR. This will be a lively conversation, and we will be getting the audience involved!

This year the Business Show has a strong sustainability theme and quite rightly so! Businesses need to get with the programme and understand why being CSR-led, eco-friendly, sustainable, and ethical is extremely good for business and really no longer an option.

Ben serves as editor-at-large of Dialogue Review, the official leadership and management journal of Duke Corporate Education, published by LID business media…and there will be free copies of Dialogue for the audience.

So come join us and be part of the conversation. Copies of my book, Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations will be available.

Threads of Change 2023 DAY 3 – Responsible Business and Co-creation

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I am delighted to be able to participate in the Threads of Change event that is being organized by Khadi London and Chelsea College at the prestigious Nehru Centre in London, where I will be talking about corporate social responsibility and the themes from my book CSR Is Not PR. This is a free event that runs over five days, from 16 to 20 October.

Natural fibres, regenerative practices and heritage textile crafts all have a key role to play as the world faces choices in its journey towards a sustainable future…could the fashion and textiles industry drive the change, thread by thread? This curated exhibition is aimed at everyone, from those in the global fashion and textiles community to all of us as consumers who want to see revolutionary change and who recognise our collective power to make it happen. This is where CSR comes in as we as consumers are voting with our wallets and want to buy from businesses and brands that care about the planet.

Khadi London is a UK-based social enterprise focusing on sharing knowledge and skills in regenerative textiles. This five-day event will feature a range of discussions from the regenerative production of fibres to talks from businesses working with these fibres to the steps that must happen to enable the wider adoption of these approaches. Craft Demonstrations including natural dyes, spinning and block printing will be a part of the exhibition.

Each day is themed as follows:

Monday & Tuesday – Climate Change and Social Justice

Wednesday – Responsible Business and Co-creation

Thursday – Education, Heritage, and Culture

Friday – Culture and Inclusive Eco-System

I will be speaking on Thursday 19, between 3.30 pm to 4.30 pm and you can find out more and book tickets here on eventbrite.

Photo credit: Khadi London

CSR Is Not PR At The PR Link Building Show Brighton

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Last week on 13 September I was at the Brighton SEO conference, the largest PR industry show that ran from 13 to 15 th. I was delighted to speak to my industry about how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is shaping PR campaigns, forcing brands to take a long hard look at themselves and their purpose.

And I am pleased to say that CSR Is Not PR was well received by the PR community. Sir David Attenborough has called the plight of the planet a communications issue and yes it does start with us in the media industry…we can help brands be more accountable, to do better, and be authentic about their values and storytelling. There is no room for any business or brand to be making up fairytales, as that’s just greenwashing. Consumers are savvy and voting with wallets, loyal to brands and businesses that are eco-friendly, ethical, and doing right by the environment. After all, there is no business without the planet.

On World Book Day, At The World Book Fair 2023

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Nothing, and let me say again, nothing gives an author more joy than seeing their book being read, being with book lovers, on bookshelves, and being at book fairs. So, this photo received today, sent by my publisher was special and they have been making sure the book got all the spotlight it deserves at the World Book Fair happening in Delhi this week, which ends on 5 March.

This book has its own energy, it makes things happen and can be bought on Amazon UK and Amazon India.

This is the 31st edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF), which began on February 25 and has been organised by the National Book Trust (NBT) in collaboration with the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO). The event has invited France as its guest of honour and will be attended by a total of 16 French authors, including Annie Ernaux, the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature winner.

This year’s theme of the Fair is based on Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of its people, culture, and achievements.

NDWBF was first held in 1972 after it was inaugurated by the then-President of India VV Giri.  Today, it’s one of the biggest literary events in the world with a total footfall of over two million people.

Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations – Out In India

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I hope everyone has had a good Christmas and now enjoying the time off before we hurl ourselves into 2023. I thought I would take this quiet moment of reflection between Christmas and the New Year to get around to updating everyone about my book, Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations, which was published in India on 23 November 2022 by Jaico Publishing.

You will immediately notice that the book has a different cover and is one that has been designed to suit the Indian market. I just love the way on the front cover, if you notice, the line that says ‘For sale in the Indian Subcontinent only’ – that to me, makes this my book extra special. On a personal note, to have my book published and sold here, is a fairy tale come true. I spent my teenage and young adult life in India, where we had books published by Jaico on our bookshelves. Never in my wildest dreams, did I think that one day, I too would have my book published by the highly regarded publishing house.

I wanted to make this edition of the book special, and I decided to include three new interviews with business leaders that will be of interest to the market here. One interview is with an award-winning luxury British Ayurvedic wellbeing brand that has a strong Indian heritage; the other is with one’s of France’s influential ESG and CSR thought leaders and activists, who has worked in India, and the third interview is with a multi-award-winning Indo-German sustainable fashion brand that is doing great things.

I could not be prouder to have my book published in India, a country that was the first in the world to implement a national CSR law in 2014. A region that is a superpower, and has the fifth largest economy in the world, according to the International Monetary Fund. This means my book could not be timelier, because it is now vital for all national and international brands and businesses in India, to authentically commit to their CSR initiatives and build CSR into the heart of their brands and business strategies, and my book explains how to do this with purpose.

The Indian Government has started to raise consumer awareness, with its efforts toward reducing the country’s carbon footprint. Currently, India is the world’s third-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, after the US and China. According to an Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India and PricewaterhouseCoopers International report, landfills are brimming with so much urban waste that by 2050, India is going to need a landfill that’s the size of its capital, New Delhi. Indian consumers aren’t ignoring these horrifying numbers anymore.

More and more consumers are becoming aware of their choices and realising that whether it is clothes that they decide to throw away, nothing ever really goes ‘away’, it all ends up in a landfill. Human activities are clearly harming the global environment and brands have no choice but to migrate to sustainable solutions and work towards building a circular economy. Information is not only to educate people about environmental issues but also to guide them on how they can make a difference every step of the way.

In October 2022, PM Modi launched Mission LiFE movement (Lifestyle for the Environment), which is an India-led global mass movement that will nudge individual and collective action to protect and preserve the environment. PM Modi said the mantra of Mission LiFE is ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ and “Connects the powers of the people for the protection of this earth and teaches them to utilize it in a better way. Mission LiFE makes the fight against climate change democratic, in which everyone can contribute within their capacity. It inspires us to do all that can be done in our everyday life to protect the environment…and that the environment can be protected by making changes in our lifestyle.”

PM Modi added that the mission emboldens the spirit of the P3 model, Pro Planet People, uniting the people of the earth as pro planet people, uniting them all in their thoughts. It functions on the basic principles of ‘Lifestyle of the planet, for the planet and by the planet’…making my book both timely and relevant to the Indian market. Jai Hind!

 

The Lionesses Inspiring Us All

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What a moment for women’s football in this country, what a moment for women’s football globally, what a moment for women’s sport, and what a moment for women everywhere. There is only one story right now. The England women’s national football team, also known as the Lionesses, did it last night and brought football home, securing the nation’s first major trophy since 1966. Captain Leah Williamson said she believes the win has inspired “change of the best kind”, while the Queen hailed their historic win “an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations”.

Last night change happened in real-time and this win is also about purpose, equality, and equal pay for equal work, which all come under the umbrella of corporate social responsibility. The Women’s Super League (WSL), English football’s top domestic competition, is one of the most competitive and professional in world football, however, the salary in the WSL can be as low as £20,000 per year in some cases. The average yearly salary in the WSL is said to be £30,000. Some players are even being reportedly “priced out” of playing professional football due to the low starting wage and lack of opportunities.

England right-back Lucy Bronze, considered one of the best players in world football, makes an estimated £200,000 a year from club football and has signed endorsement deals with brands like Pepsi, EE, and Visa. She is set to join Barcelona after her Manchester City contract expired over the summer. While Gareth Bale was reportedly paid up to £600,000 a week while at Real Madrid; six-figure weekly wages are commonplace among the elite men’s players. The highest-paid male footballer according to Forbes, is Lionel Messi, who earns £62million per year before endorsements. There is clearly a wage gap when compared with men’s footballers.

Former England international and BBC pundit Alex Scott reprimanded Premier League clubs who refused to host women’s Euros matches this summer and explained live on-air after BBC One’s full-time coverage how difficult it had been to convince men’s Premier League clubs to agree to host matches when the competition was being planned back in 2018.

She said, ‘Let’s just remind as well, back in 2018 we were begging people [Premier League clubs] to host games in their stadiums for these Euros and so many said no’ and powerfully added, ‘I hope you’re all looking at yourselves right now because you weren’t brave enough to see the vision… I’m not standing up at corporate events in front of sponsors anymore begging for them to get involved in the women’s game, because you know what? If you’re not involved, you’ve missed the boat, you’ve missed the train. Because look at this… it has finally left the station and it is gathering speed.’

Over the next few days, we will see brands and football clubs climbing on the bandwagon, wanting to be part of the Lionesses’ success and the sudden success of women’s football. While these deals will be welcome because they will make a difference to the sport and the players, as the investment will be needed to keep the momentum going, a lot of it will be corporate publicity spin and hype.

Many will be getting on board only for the PR and not because of passion, belief, or real purpose. These types of brands and sponsors won’t stay the course, because they will be using women’s football as a fix, to push out their brand and make themselves look good. Especially, if these corporates have internal challenges and do not have enough diversity or inclusivity within their own organizations, they will be called out for greenwashing.

 

 

 

 

Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations

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A reminder of why this book is important and relevant to your business, and your work.

 

Book, Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations Shortlisted

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This has been a good news week and humbling set against all the devastating news that is happening in Ukraine right now. The book, Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations, which was published in 2021 has been shortlisted by the UK Business Book Awards.

It is such a proud moment for me and the book, for it to be acknowledged and to be shortlisted, alongside a strong list of books and authors.

There are 15 global interviews in this book and I was lucky to interview these brilliant minds, as their wisdom and knowledge makes the book. I was also incredibly lucky to have environmental journalist, Lucy Siegle write the foreword for the book, which gives it context.

When I was writing the book, we were going into a global pandemic and I had no idea at that time, how much the pandemic would influence the book. COVID-19 has accelerated the need for corporate social responsibility (CSR) and put it high on the agenda for all types of businesses and sectors. Now more than ever, it is important for all organisations to have authentic CSR at the heart of both their business strategy and brand.

There is also a special chapter on India within the book, which for me is an important part of the book because we can learn so much from the East. In this chapter, I have interviewed an Indian Yogi, who talks about CSR and mindset, and that CSR is a shift in thinking for all entrepreneurs, CEOs, and business leaders, across all sectors and regions.

On a personal note, this book has been an achievement, because when writing it, I had just lost my mum. At that time I had this block in my head, where the words did not make sense. I now realise, that I was writing through grief.

I feel like a winner, and I have no fingers crossed. My hope now is that more people buy the book so that we can make the changes that this planet so desperately needs.