What can we do about climate change?
Recently, the Spirus team attended a fascinating Ask the Expert session with Jo Twiselton, an executive coach, mentor, and facilitator who works with leaders and teams to develop a resilient mindset around changing organisations for the better. The talk was hosted by the DRIVE network, and Jo’s topic was “How to have conversations about climate change”.
Being a hot topic at the moment, just the words climate change often conjure up feelings of anxiety, despair, frustration, and even anger among some. Luckily, with Jo’s passion for the climate, her calm demeanour, and her expertise of having to sometimes navigate difficult conversations in her day job, we truly couldn’t have asked to hear from anyone better. We’ve linked Jo in this post, so feel free to get in touch with her if you need resilience coaching to manage change in your company.
An impacting part of Jo’s talk was about connection, and how we as humans can often experience a disconnect from the earth. Every chair, desk, or laptop that we use for hours daily was once a resource of the earth. Wood, metal, plastic…You get the idea! If we can reconnect with that concept, we’re already one step closer to reminding ourselves that we are all part of the same ecosystem.
We’re a practical bunch at Spirus, and we love to “do the doing” as well as the talking, so our ears immediately went up when Jo asked, “What can you do”?
Just having the climate change conversation, says Jo, is extremely important. And, according to this ONS survey, 75% of adults in Great Britain care about climate change, so it may not be as daunting as first thought. When the opportunity presents itself, think about your target audience (marketing 101). Where are they on their climate journey? Are they coming to climate talks? A lot can be deduced when you are looking for certain clues.
If you find yourself on opposite sides of the coin, do not despair. Instead, reserve your judgement, try and find some common ground, and be curious about where they are coming from. Listen more than you talk!
Jo ended the session by stressing the importance of The 3 Ps: Personal, Professional, and Politically. Everyone has the ability to do something, and this is what we are doing at Spirus:
Personal
We seek out opportunities to have the climate change discussion in an open and honest forum. We also believe in wearing warm clothes indoors during winter to conserve energy and reduce our bills.
Professional
With our “do the doing” attitude, we pride ourselves on learning more about our digital carbon cost and encourage others towards useful *resources like this carbon footprint calculator, this superb book about digital carbon costs by Gerry McGovern, and the Cambridge Zero Climate Change Festival taking place from the 14th to the 16th of October 2022.
Our Spirus team member Yulia recently completed her Carbon Literacy training, and we are all looking forward to learning much more from her in the near future.
Politically
Spirus’ managing director Tania is part of the A to B1102, a voluntary group of residents helping to improve the lives of those who ride, cycle, walk, and live alongside the B1102. The local bus company recently terminated the bus route, and the cessation of the bus service is scheduled to take place on the 30th of October. This will force anyone near B1102 to drive cars into Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds for work and school. Those without cars are completely stuck and isolated. What is the impact of this on the climate? Click here to follow this evolving story.
As marketers, we realise that by encouraging people to be consumers, we are also part of the problem. Transparency is key at Spirus, and that’s why we make a conscious choice to work with clients who want to make a positive impact on the world. Considering the type of marketing campaign and strategy that we run, and evaluating the value that it brings, are essential. By connecting target customers with our clients in a quick and sustainable way, we don’t shy away from controlling our carbon footprint.
If your business shares the same values and is in need of some marketing support, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
We have proudly signed on to The Sustainable Marketer Manifesto and these principles guide our thinking.
What’s next?
Climate change truly affects us all, and we at Spirus refuse to shy away from having the conversation. Let’s talk about it openly and honestly.
What will your 3 Ps be?
*We were pointed to all of these resources in this one Drive the Network meeting. If you want to be part of an engaged, informed and warm business network, come to the next meeting!
