The more people I speak to regarding environmental accreditations the less confidence I have in their ability to deliver real change. The exorbitant cost to manufacturers, large and particularly small, to have their products tested can mean that those making the greatest sustainable impact are excluded from a project. The Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) vision is one that we can all share but when chain of custody is breached at the point of transfer of ownership from a third party to a customer then does it count? I know of a company that makes amazing wooden furniture of the highest quality and with genuine sustainability at the core of their business that isn’t FSC certified. Rather they adhere to the wonderfully dull sounding EU regulation 995/2010 (EU Timber Regulation), which prohibits the placing of illegally harvested timber and timber products (illegal logging) on the European market. But if the project wants FSC then all are missing out.
Rather, wouldn’t it be great if project teams set their vision and goals in line with the company’s cultural ambitions? Communicate these with staff, partners and suppliers and give all of them the confidence to use their expertise to deliver the objectives. Benchmark and evaluate; discover and interrogate, the facts will emerge and the team can discuss their impact.
Last week we missed out on a FX Award for which we were shortlisted. Salt & Pegram and Will + Partners’ furniture strategy for The British Red Cross was the only finalist not to have produced a product. We produced an idea. I think we need to be more bold and let the idea be the champion and free it from stifling accreditation.