Receiving Recognition for Your Company Climate Policy
The Big Picture
Seeking external recognition is a way to publicize the results of a successful climate change initiative. Such actions help a company celebrate milestones on the path towards sustainability and are a useful means of sharing best practices with the wider community. Receiving outside recognition also can be an indirect yet important way to improve one’s bottom line. Enhancing a company’s reputation for environmental responsibility can help it attract capital and customers while reducing or avoiding scrutiny by national and local government entities. In New Jersey, for example, state agencies overseeing environmental regulations have a formal program to recognize and reward companies that commit to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. These companies are eligible for “fast-track” and longer duration operating permits when applying for or expanding their facilities.
Key Players
There are a growing number of awards and certification programs specifically related to climate change initiatives.
Government climate programs. Several organizations, both governmental and private, have launched awards programs with an overarching focus on climate change. One of the best known is the U.S. EPA’s Climate Protection Awards. This inclusive award welcomes public- or private-sector applicants from anywhere in the world.
Energy awards and programs. Some awards are not climate-specific, but recognize actions that many companies take as part of their climate efforts, such as using renewable energy or increasing energy efficiency. For instance, Climate Solutions, a project of the nonprofit Earth Island Institute, has developed a program to provide high-profile recognition to businesses, governments, and utilities in the Northwest U.S. that invest in new, renewable energy at levels established by a regional committee of energy experts. Several U.S. government agencies have created programs to award companies that take steps to improve energy efficiency. Some, such as the EPA’s Voluntary Aluminum Partnership’s annual awards, are sector-specific.
Climate- or carbon-neutral certifiers. Companies that seek to eliminate their emissions through reduction and offsetting projects for specific products or operations, or for the company as a whole, may wish to have these plans reviewed and approved by a third party. One organization that reviews and certifies products as climate neutral is the nonprofit Climate Neutral Network, which is building partnerships to begin certification programs with the U.S., UK, Australia and Canada.
General environmental leadership awards. Several general environmental awards programs have criteria that are expansive enough to encompass climate change initiatives. Some explicitly welcome climate-focused submissions. For example, the Renew the Earth’s Environmental Ambassador awards contain “Clean Energy and Protection of the Atmosphere” as one of the five categories in which it awards on an annual basis.
Registries and other programs. In addition to formal recognition programs, companies can receive recognition for their climate-related efforts through more informal routes. Enrolling in a GHG registry (see Measuring and Reporting) or joining a voluntary program (see Goals and Commitments), can provide companies long-term visibility. Some programs, such as EPA’s Climate Leaders, explicitly offer to assist companies in publicizing their efforts, while others, such as Canada’s Climate Change Voluntary Registry & Challenge, have created a special echelon for companies that set entity-wide GHG reduction targets. Finally, companies that raise the bar — by achieving aggressive emissions goals or testing new waters (such as emissions trading) — frequently enjoy public recognition as their leadership efforts are cited by individuals and organizations pushing for broader change.
The Upside
There are numerous reasons for companies to seek outside recognition:
- Brand identity. As companies sense increasing stakeholder interest in their environmental impacts and initiatives, many are turning this interest into an asset by initiating climate change policies of some shape or form. Seeking recognition is a way to raise awareness of your company’s actions.
- Credibility. Naturally, many stakeholders are skeptical of self-proclaimed actions and achievements. Gaining outside recognition is a simple way for companies to establish their credibility with a public that often cares deeply, but has neither the time nor the training to evaluate a program’s merits on its own.
- Maintaining momentum. Because reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a complex, long-term process, it is important to celebrate milestones along the way. Receiving outside recognition is a way a company can do so while raising consciousness within its organization. Articulating a program’s benefits through the application process can help staff members convey the utility and achievements of their program in general.
- Networking. Becoming involved with a recognition program is a good way to meet like-minded peers pursuing similar paths. Likewise, once a company’s example enters the public sphere, staff who implement the program can become an inspiration and resource for others to follow.
- Broader change. Ultimately, climate change is a challenge requiring collective action. The more that companies publicly demonstrate their willingness and ability to improve, the better.
Reality Check
- No guarantees. Fitting one’s performance into another organization’s reporting framework can take significant time and effort. One may need to track down data as well as describe complex structures and goals. Because competition is an inherent part of most recognition programs, efforts that the do not lead to awards may seem in vain.
- Increased scrutiny. Receiving attention of any kind opens a company up to public scrutiny and often raises expectations. Leadership companies may find themselves asked to address other pressing issues — both within and beyond the environmental sphere. (Ironically, companies that have done less environmentally may not receive such pressures.) Hence, some companies prefer to be “caught doing good” rather than explicitly seek out recognition.
Action Plan
- Assess your options. Choosing what sort of recognition to pursue requires understanding both what makes your company notable and what your company hopes to achieve through recognition. Likewise, when researching the possibilities, one must both confirm that your company fulfills each award’s basic requirements and review the types of applicants who have traditionally been successful.
- Create a dialogue. Once one has done an initial round of research, have an informational conversation with staff at the most promising organizations to learn more about their decision-making process, especially since unusual factors frequently play an important role in determining successful candidates.
- Don’t get discouraged. If a company’s initial application does not meet with success, the old adage about persistence holds true: It’s quite possible that only minor adjustments would be necessary to meet with greater success in the following year.
Leads
The Bottom Line
Seeking recognition should be a win-win proposition. Companies have their efforts validated, customers understand how their values are being reflected, and competitors have a new example to meet. Once a company has taken the time to understand its greenhouse gas emissions and reduce them, the lion’s share of the job is done. Going the extra mile to seek recognition requires extra work, but the payoff — in public recognition, brand credibility, internal momentum, networking, and broader change — often makes the effort worthwhile.