The launch of Green@Red comes ahead of the COP26 climate change conference, which starts on Sunday (31 October) in Glasgow. Red Consultancy said the offer will help brands develop both their climate change strategies and define vital consumer and stakeholder engagement campaigns to support them.
Green@Red will be led by Emily Morgan, Red Consultancy's managing director of operations and innovation. The agency said it will work with external sustainability consultants across a range of sectors, including senior sustainability strategist Nita P Woods and Sara Vaughan, creator of Brands and Companies with Purpose, who has worked with businesses including The Body Shop, Unilever and De Beers.
Morgan said: “Every brand or business wants to be a net zero hero. But whether it is setting out long-term strategy or engaging consumers and stakeholders, the risks are as significant as the rewards. Green@Red will help clients focus on the right actions, the right engagement and the right communications strategies.”
Research by Green@Red’s insight team points to the rise of sustainability stories and editorial angles in the past six months. The use of the term ‘net zero’ in announcements increased 38 per cent, the number of stories about sustainability and packaging grew by almost 50 per cent, and announcements about meat alternatives increased by 122 per cent.
Vaughan said: “The time to act is now. Not only does the planet need business to take an urgent stand, but the huge increase in people using their purpose in their pocket to demand planet-friendly practices and products means that ultimately, only companies that truly, transparently embrace and embed this and tie it to their commercial success will survive and thrive.”
Huntsworth-owned Red Consultancy is handling ongoing climate change and purpose campaigns for clients including Avon, Smart Energy GB, McDonald’s, Sky, Epson and Zen. Green@Red will be offered to all current and new clients.
The launch comes as PR consultancies are investing more in comms related to the environment. This month Teneo and Stonehaven have both announced acquisitions to increase their expertise in these areas, and ESG more generally. Meanwhile, 90 per cent of the UK’s largest firms now employ a head of ESG or sustainability, whereas very few had the equivalent only four years ago, a new report suggests.
