360DigitalInfluence

As the world’s focus turns towards the Copenhagen climate change summit (COP15) at the end of the year, public affairs consultants are turning their attention to how to navigate the political milestones on the “Road to Copenhagen”.

Politicans, policymakers, academics and NGOs have been busy preparing for COP 15: from the UN meeting (COP 14) in Poznan last December, the academic conference on climate change in Copenhagen this March, technical meetings in Bonn, G8 environment ministers’ meetings in Italy, the EU-US summit in Prague to the G20 meeting in London. The European Commission’s whitepaper on adapting to climate change, the sustainable development conference in Brussels in May and the EU’s annual Greenweek event in June all point the way towards Copenhagen.

Companies have been understandably pre-occupied with the financial crisis and subsequent global recession. But clients are waking up to the opportunities of public sector funding for clean technologies and investment in sustainable solutions. The stimulus packages may just offer a lifeline for those who will drive the engine of the sustainable economy.

CEOs of major corporations came together at the World Business Leader’s Summit on climate change to pledge support for the Copenhagen Summit and a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. But what about the many other companies with sustainable products and services? What role they should play in the run up to Copenhagen and beyond?

The answer is to concentrate on where the political and financial support is being targeted and anticipate the regulatory measures that will support sustainable markets and consumption. Use public affairs consultants not to lobby against sustainable industry measures, but to promote understanding amongst officials and politicians of the potential of business to contribute to a sustainable economic recovery.

Are companies in a position to influence the outcome of Copenhagen? Probably not. But they are in a position to align their strategies and research and development programmes with probably the most significant confluence of world opinion on the need for business and politics to forge a sustainable new world order. Our future economic and global development depends on it.

Simply promoting a company’s “green” credentials in the run up to Copenhagen is missing the point. Advising companies on the landscape and opportunities that lie between now and then, and most importantly beyond the event itself, is arguably the greatest challenge facing public affairs consultants today. And if you are still not convinced, visit the Hopenhagen site to see the compelling campaign developed by Ogilvy to spread the word that our future is in our hands.