As we all know, the condition of our environment is one of the most pressing global issues we face today. Greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise, and with them surface a whole host of unprecedented repercussions, which undoubtedly deserve immediate attention. With that said, the term ‘sustainability’ has largely become a buzzword with an impact that often falls short of its true gravity.
Whilst it’s critical that we all begin to work towards change, we at PSE understand that in our collective efforts, it is businesses like ours that can do more than any one individual. That’s why, instead of allowing such a vital subject to fall onto nonchalant ears, we take accountability, determinedly striving towards more environmentally conscious actions across all of our sectors.
Our steps towards greener processes exist but aren’t complete. Read on to find out what we at PSE are already doing to support sustainability and what we are endeavouring to implement in the future.
Carbon offsetting for paper used in marketing campaigns
There are very few things in the modern world that leave no carbon trace. In fact, thanks to the perceived ethereal digital systems that actually utilise very real, physical infrastructure, even the unsuspecting email can leave a carbon footprint of up to 50gm CO2e based on its contents. So, what does this mean for an offline marketing agency?
There are no prizes for guessing that paper is an integral part of our service offering, and as a derivative of our green, woody, CO2-absorbing friends in the forests, this material is, of course, no exception when it comes to leaving a carbon footprint. However, as bleak as sourcing paper may sound, its impact can be easily counterbalanced. Enter carbon offsetting.
Carbon offsets work as credits that fund environmentally friendly projects tasked with removing carbon from the atmosphere, effectively nullifying the CO2 originally released. This means that paper-based campaigns on offer at PSE are measured for their CO2 emission levels, and attributed to a carbon credit value, which is then used to support schemes such as reforestation projects. As a result, the previous CO2 emitted through the sourcing of our paper is largely undone as a result of its purchase.
This is an ongoing initiative employed by PSE. However, it’s one that we aim to continue to make more efficient with reductions to our paper sourcing’s initial environmental toll until the whole process is carbon positive.
Supporting the roll out of electric cars
Believe it or not, mother nature doesn’t work a 9 to 5, and environmental damage occurs around the clock. As a result, sustainability isn’t something that we at PSE like to ignore when it’s time to clock off. So, what are we doing outside of office hours to ensure that the PSE family is working towards our green vision wherever they are? Helping to remove some of the world’s biggest polluters sounded like a good start to us!
The UK government’s most recent report on transport emissions found that in a single year, the UK produced 455 MtCO2e (metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent), 122 of those metric tons being a direct consequence of the transport sector. Theworldcounts.com notes that in 2018, just 0.4% of cars that occupied our roads were electrified. Yet, a very realistic trajectory sees as much as 50% of vehicle share being occupied by this environmentally friendly alternative by 2030, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by half. This is something that we at PSE have been adamant about being part of, which is why we are beginning to support our team in their moves to electric cars. With our support, this more sustainable way of life becomes far more attractive and achievable, allowing the PSE family to travel with a green conscience.
Looking to Ofset Carbon Footprint of Postage
Environmental issues aren’t something that can be talked about and acted upon, then left in the dark like an underwhelming present on boxing day. These issues remain just as – if not more – prevalent as yesterday and become increasingly pressing as time goes on. As a result, we at PSE don’t believe in being satisfied with the actions that we are already committed to. Instead, we understand the importance of looking to the future and assessing the ways we can implement further measures to tackle the climate crisis eventually.
While paper accounts for the most environmentally draining resource at PSE, our carbon offsetting measures are well implemented and are intended to become even more beneficial to the environment in due time. However, while our most taxing resource is being addressed, we understand that other elements of our service aren’t environmentally anonymous. The postage of our marketing material, of course, treads a carbon footprint of its own.
As with the sourcing of our resources, the postal sector doesn’t have the tools and technology available in the modern landscape to proceed without emissions from the get-go. As a result, the only option is to offset these emissions with schemes akin to those mentioned previously. As a result, PSE is looking thoroughly into how we can offset the carbon cost of postage involved in our process. This, combined with overall development within processes lighter in emissions, makes for a far more promising future that PSE is proud to be part of.
Plant Tree Initiative
As mentioned, carbon offsetting sees the enabling of third-party, atmospheric carbon-reducing schemes throughout the country and the wider world. The projects involved in carbon offsetting include renewable energy resource development, community projects, and reforestation initiatives. As a result of the resources we use at PSE, the latter is an initiative that we particularly feel connected with. While we intend to continually support these schemes, holding a more direct involvement in reforestation is something we are determined to take on. Planting trees as a direct response to customer purchases, of course, generates an instant, tangible response to the climate crisis, but the intangible benefits of taking ownership of sustainability are even greater.
As we know, meeting the aspirations of environmental improvement depends on the coming together of people and businesses, uniting under one common goal. We believe that to do this, taking on accountability is vital; a tree-planting initiative that encourages customer involvement is the perfect way to do just that.
Not only will PSE shoulder responsibility in our efforts to plant trees, but we hope that doing so in response to customer purchases will incite a similar sense of duty and pride within those making a purchase. We hope that a scheme like this would help to bring attention to the subject of sustainability, creating a connection between people and the environment and igniting a brightly-burning commitment to our ambitious aim of sustainability unification.
Ongoing Internal and External Analysis
It would be easy to consider the issue of sustainability and the issues we face as speculative. The relatively slowly moving impacts aren’t felt on a day-to-day basis. So the almost intangible nature of them can render the statistics as hypothetical in the minds of many. Contrary to this, environmental issues are an exact science. Our impacts on the world are measurable and can be analysed with precision. As a result, PSE is constantly looking inwards to ask: ‘what can we do about it?’. As a result, our impact on the environment is under constant scrutiny. We are constantly looking to answer the question with internal analysis and external assessment of fast-moving methods, technologies, and initiatives to employ.
Is sustainability something that matters to you? Why not get in touch to find out more about what environmentally-conscious marketing could mean for your business?
