B2B Communications: B2B Public Relations Pros Make Strong Business Case for Sustainability Initiatives

Conveying the business case for corporate responsibility and sustainability at a time of financial uncertainty remains a challenge. In too many cases, doing “good” is seen as an aspirational virtue, rather than a critical component of future growth. We queried B2B communications trailblazers to learn how their organizations have adopted an expanded vision of sustainability across environmental, social and governance issues that align with the core measures of business performance.

CAROLYN ROHRER

Public Relations Manager, Sustainability, Autodesk

We’re facing some of history’s biggest challenges—a population of 7 billion and growing; needing to get clean water and food to all of those people; diminishing natural resources. And many of these are fundamentally problems of design. Autodesk provides the 3D design software to help address these big challenges and create a better-designed world. Through our technology, designers and engineers can conduct analyses on their designs to make better informed decisions about use of energy, water, materials and land—whether designing a building, a utility network, an engine or a shoe.

In addition to enabling our customers to design with sustainability in mind, we strive to serve as a model for sustainable business practices for our customers as well. For example, Autodesk implements its own software to ensure energy efficiency in its real estate portfolio.

This technology allows us to determine quickly how to best take advantage of daylighting; harvest solar energy or divert storm water for use on our campuses; or utilize shading to keep interiors cool. All of these contribute to more energy-efficient and less-impactful building operations, and help us save money.

This use of our own software allows us to better communicate with and better understand our architecture, engineering and construction customers. We’ve successfully applied our experience for a range of marketing activities, including case studies, fodder for news stories and testimonials in the sales process. We’ve earned media coverage for this use of technology in our real estate portfolio, here in the U.S. and most recently in Singapore for a new LEED-certified office that opened there.

DAVID A. PROSPERI

VP, Global Public Relations, Aon Corporation

While we strive to reduce our environmental footprint, as a B2B global services firm Aon focuses more broadly on our performance as a global corporate citizen. It is our view that global citizenship stems from the social contributions of our work, our corporate character and our giving, and incorporates our sustainability efforts.

In conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the Aon brand, we released the firm’s 2012 Global Citizenship Report, which describes our efforts in these areas. It looks at how, by enabling our clients to spur economic growth and provide better opportunities for their people, we indirectly produce social benefits; how we live up to the standards of our ethics, values and brand; how we fulfill our commitment to develop a diverse and talented team; and how we give back to the communities in the more than 120 countries in which we operate.

Through our foundation, our partnership with football club Manchester United and the powerful spirit of volunteerism of our global colleagues, Aon contributes time, expertise and funding to philanthropic organizations that serve communities at risk and empower people.

Finally, citizenship is a unifying theme among our colleagues. On June 21, 2012, Aon celebrated its latest Global Service Day. In one day, more than 60,000 Aon colleagues joined together to contribute more than 25,000 hours of service by engaging in local charitable activities that benefit their communities. It was a clear demonstration of Aon being a global company of people helping people.

ANGELA A. BUONOCORE

Senior VP and Chief Communications Officer, Xylem Inc.

As employees of a leading global water technology, services and information provider, we at Xylem are energized by our central role in creating a sustainable water future for our customers and society. We adopted the tagline “Let’s solve water” to explain what we aspire to do and to invite our customers and partners to join us. We understand that the water issues our world faces can only be addressed through technology and behavior change.

That’s why we help customers conduct audits to ensure they’re getting maximum energy efficiency from their pumping systems in wastewater treatment plants and in commercial and residential buildings. We’ve developed new software tools that help building engineers specify our energy-saving products to be in compliance with new legislation that sets requirements for energy efficiency. We’re also working to ensure every single one of our employees understands what sustainability means and why it’s imperative for a company such as ours to ensure we practice what we preach. We are united by our vision, devoting our technology, time and talent to advance the smarter use of water.
 

PAUL DICKARD

VP, External Communications, AECOM Technology Corp.

AECOM regards sustainability and CSR as the organic by-products of the company’s culture and values, and complementary programs under its corporate citizenship platform. As a result, our sustainability and CSR communications are part of a broad and integrated campaign predicated on good citizenship, with an emphasis on ethics and integrity as the foundation for building trust across all of our stakeholder groups. While ethics and integrity remain regular themes across our ongoing employee communications, in September 2011 we advanced the good-citizenship conversation with employees by inaugurating Global Ethics Week, which featured a number of special communications activities, including:

• CEO and business-unit leadership messages underscoring that good ethics means good business;

• A video of employees throughout the world expressing their thoughts about the importance of acting with integrity;

• A webinar featuring a leading expert in ethics; and

• Web access to our CEO’s participation on a panel at the New York Stock Exchange, discussing the traits of ethical leaders.

Through these ongoing efforts, we have given our employees more opportunities to examine and constructively engage leadership and colleagues about ethics-related matters.

In fact, our most recent employee survey indicated that 80% of responding employees rated ethics and compliance as a strength of AECOM. We think that’s a solid foundation for a corporate citizenship platform, which in turn nurtures credible and enduring sustainability and CSR programs.

CONTACT:

B2B Communications is written by Mary C. Buhay, VP, marketing & business development at Gibbs & Soell Public Relations. She can be reached at [email protected].