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The Environmental
Advisory Board
name: Susan Stautberg
Email:
partcom@verizon.net
Organisation: President, PartnerCom
Address: 17 East 89th Street, Suite 7D
New York, NY
Telephone: 212-987-6070
Fax:
Subject: The Environmental Advisory Board
Message: The Environmental Advisory Board
by Susan Stautberg and Yolanda Kakabadse
An increasing number of multinational companies, including
Coca-Cola, Dow, DuPont, Holcim, General Electric, Unilever
and Weyerhaeuser have, or are creating, Environmental
Advisory Boards (EABs). This is a response to increasing
public, non-governmental organization, and government
scrutiny and to gain valuable insights into the marketplace
in a cost-effective way. An ethical stance can provide a
bottom-line boost, especially with the rise of the green
consumer.
There are several major reasons for the increased use of
Environmental Advisory Boards
• More corporate CEOs are convinced that the pace of
transition to products and services defined as “sustainable”
will quicken.
• Church groups, trade unions, consumers and
non-governmental organizations are pressing for higher
corporate responsibility standards.
• Some businesses can be taken by surprise if they
spend their time thinking about what they are most familiar
with—their own business sector, current competitors,
customers they know or their organization as it currently
exists.
• The complexity of global issues requires more than
the inspired vision of a single individual.
Advisory boards provide guidance (not governance), increase
brainpower and increase contacts. These councils save time
and money. Outside experts can spot vulnerabilities that
companies face and opportunities you can capitalize on.
Environmental advisory boards are formed with people who
have experience in developed/developing countries and
business who can bring real ideas of what has worked and
what does not. This can include local ownership of
initiatives, and reducing the potential for a backlash for
projects that may seem to be “good” in principle.
Innovative companies seek an “eco-advantage” by creating
advisory boards with knowledge generators. Academics,
former government officials, and other environmental experts
can provide valuable perspectives on current and emerging
issues. Reaching out to people beyond an executive’s comfort
zone can provide person-to-person alerts on complaints
before protests or hostile campaigns are launched.
Many companies outsource the advisory board’s logistics in
order to concentrate on what they do best. A facilitator
should strategize with you to set target results, help
select appropriate advisors, facilitate the meetings and
coordinate communications. (The chair of an environmental
advisory board is not necessarily a good facilitator.)
Multinational companies and national ones with a global
impact need to bring into their analysis data, realities and
perspectives from different continents and cultures. These
constitute the base to shape environmental policies. The
“public” for consumer products and services is now beyond
national boundaries. Positive and negative reactions to the
consistency between the “talk” and the “walk” may come from
countries and places far removed from the production site
itself.
____________________
Susan Stautberg is president of PartnerCom management
consultants, New York, which creates and manages advisory
boards globally [www.partner-com.com].
Yolanda Kakabadse sits on the Environmental Advisory Boards
of The Coca-Cola Company and Holcim Foundation. [yolandak@uio.satnet.net]
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