Environmental public relations

by Malcolm Cowing

Be aware of public concerns

1. The last 20 years have seen a huge increase in public concern over environmental issues. Every day newspapers are full of stories with an environmental angle – holes in the ozone layer, diminishing fish stocks, endangered species, destruction of the rainforests, increases in radiation levels, pollution of rivers and so on. It seems that, the entire human race is becoming more focused on the potential degeneration and ultimate destruction of the planet. Will future generations find us guilty of gross neglect and dereliction of our global duty? This is a question more and more people seem to be asking.

2. This sentiment is largely behind public outcry over two decisions taken in 1995 with major potential for impact on the environment – namely the resumption of nuclear testing by the French in the South Pacific and Shell’s decision to sea-dump its disused Brent Spar oil rig.

3. In both cases the powers that be completely misread the level of international dismay which greeted their decisions. The public determination to try and turn these decisions around by hitting those concerned in their pockets – by boycotting Shell petrol stations and refusing to buy French products – is another new phenomenon which corporations ignore at their peril when handling sensitive environmental issues. In Shell’s case, it was certainly a prime mover in making the company swiftly review its policy. Meanwhile, the French government faced increasing flak from its own electorate, and an already struggling economy felt the backlash from overseas buyers, irate at what they considered to be an arrogant and entirely intransigent French stance on the issue.

4. Reflecting the increase in public environmental awareness, national governments are learning to address a wide range of environmental issues through the introduction of new legislation to cover areas as diverse as improved effluent pollution controls to the protection of endangered birds and animals. It is fair to say that there has been more environmental legislation passed by UK and European Community (EC) governments in the last ten years than in the previous century. And this shows no signs of letting up as the pressure to improve environmental standards increases.

5. With this background of heightened public awareness and ever-growing legislation, it is essential for every commercial enterprise to be clear where it stands on the environmental issues which may affect its operations. The less enlightened will do the legal minimum and justify a reluctance to go further by quoting the extra costs involved. More intelligent companies will embrace the issues, make bold decisions and seize the environmental opportunities to gain a competitive edge.

6. Public relations can play a vital role in the management process on two counts when dealing with environmental issues. First, it is the antenna which provides management with information and monitors changing public attitudes to relevant environmental issues. Second, it can provide the communications advice and skills necessary to actively present a company’s environmental policy and actions to its target audiences.

7. However, just telling people may not be enough – as Brent Spar taught Shell. The comments of John Whybrew, corporate affairs director of Shell UK should be etched on the hearts of all public relations practitioners. He said, ‘What Brent Spar taught us is that being open isn’t sufficient when you are dealing with a highly sensitive decision. You’ve got to make more effort to listen as well as explain’.

8. This sentiment is reflected in Shell’s subsequent decision to invite suggestions from companies and the public to help dispose of the rig in a manner acceptable to the environment. It made a strong commitment to cooperate with Greenpeace whose misinformation, gladly regurgitated in the media, at first succeeded in making Shell’s management lose face so spectacularly when it decided to abandon sea-dumping at very short notice.

9. What a pity that a process of public consultation wasn’t embarked upon in the first place, scoring lots of brownie points with the public at the same time. By demonstrating awareness of publics concerns, Shell could have at least been seen to have openly considered all the options, even if at the end of the exercise sea-dumping was scientifically shown to be the best means of disposal from an environmental point of view. It would have been much more difficult to mount a sustainable argument against the company in those circumstances.