Tag Archives: green business

News

Global outsourced marketing agency BBSA fights climate change with new reforesting pledge

In response to the climate crisis and the urgent need for a green agenda, global outsourced marketing agency BBSA has launched a new eco-campaign to begin reforestation, one tree at a time. 

Launching on World Environment Day (5th June) and as part of their ‘eco-tradition’, BBSA has pledged to plant one new tree for every client that they onboard, personalized with their name, marking their partnership with the eco-strategy. There is no limit on how many trees they are willing to plant, and their goal is to have planted 10,000 trees by 2030. 

BBSA’s reforestation commitment reaches far beyond the environment as they onboard local communities to help with the task. As such, their investment is twofold; not only do they employ the local community, but they also cultivate a desire in the community to become more environmentally active.

The positive impact that trees have on the environment has been argued to be broader than previously thought, recent studies have shown. Not only do trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they also play a role in cooling the air, which protects the environment from droughts, extremely high temperatures and floods which are caused by the climate breakdown. In addition to this, trees are home to a range of wildlife and so are important to protect these species. 

As part of their new Reforesting One Tree @ One Client initiative, BBSA has adopted a three tier approach in their pursuit of a greener earth:

  • Community participation and support  – They assert that the success of reforestation lies in community support, both planting trees and maintaining tree sites to ensure growth. 
  • Municipal and governmental support  – One of the biggest threats to planting sites is commercial enterprise or housing projects. Planting sites are only established in locations where BBSA have the full support of both local and national governments. This ensures sites will have the opportunity to  thrive. 
  • Business funding and support – With the support of other businesses, BBSA can launch and initially support the reforestation projects. The long term goal is to create a self-sufficient ecosystem that does not rely on outside investment. 

Commenting on the new Reforesting One Tree @ One Client initiative, Anna Stella, BBSA’s CEO says; 

“Often reforestation requires the financial support of businesses and invested parties. With BBSA’s additional funding support, we can launch and initially sustain reforestation projects. Our aim, however, is to cultivate a self-producing ecosystem not dependent on external funding. As forests are being regrown, the local community is the driving force in the efforts and benefits from the economic empowerment brought by the extra employment.

Our environment is important to us and we must take care of it and protect it. Sustainability today is a core business imperative, and we recognize both the opportunity and responsibility to deliver marketing solutions that enable our clients to manage their – and the planet’s – limited resources productivity, contribute to an inclusive economy and shape a sustainable future.”

For more information visit https://bbsa-marketing.com/reforesting-one-tree-at-one-client/ 

Climate, News

UK Deathcare sector urged to face up to its part in the environmental emergency

Medical advancements and better living standards have contributed to people living much longer, but with around 1% of the populace dying each year, for many years, the death care sector along with most of society has been unknowingly contributing to Global Warming and Climate Change.

As COP26 approaches and sustainability is brought to the top of the global agenda, industry experts are urging the deathcare sector to face up to the role it is playing in the escalating environmental emergency.

New information has emerged about the toxicity of materials involved in body disposal, from the ecological effects of embalming fluids and coffins, through to the effects of natural body composition and even the release of mercury from tooth fillings. What is clear is that the sector as a whole is facing a significant challenge when it comes to addressing and reversing its contribution to the Climate Crisis. 

The pressure to implement change is no longer coming from the smaller, eco-conscious subsections of the community alone.  As of 24th February, it was reported that 300 out of a total of 404 District, County, Unitary and Metropolitan Councils had so far declared a Climate Emergency. This includes 8 combined Authorities and City Regions.  As part of the declaration, aggressive timelines and plans are being put into place to address all of the areas under their control, including death care services. Time is of the essence too, with the vast majority of these plans set to be implemented by 2030. 

“Many death care professionals think that it is impossible to avoid the negative impacts on the environment completely, regardless of whether customers are opting for burials or cremations,” explains Scott Storey, Head of European Operations for OpusXenta, a global technology company serving the death care profession and its suppliers.

Earlier this year, Scott conducted a webinar ‘The Climate Emergency: What Changes Can Crematoria, Funeral Homes and Cemeteries Make to Protect Our Environment?, alongside  Executive Officer for the FBCA, Brendan Day and guests from the sector. In it they discussed the steps that Funeral Directors, Crematoria and Cemeteries can take to help limit their impact on the environment. 

These included:

  • Pollution reduction – a single cremation generates NOx (greenhouse gas) emissions equivalent to a car travelling 2,280 miles. Burials are also problematic, due to toxic chemicals which leach into the soil and have been detected in groundwater around cemeteries, posing a risk to public health.
  • Preserving Ecological Habitats – the intensive maintenance of lawns  and memorial plots in cemeteries and gardens of remembrance continues to damage the environment and the local ecology.
  • Recycling – there is more to be done than just composting of floral tributes or the reuse of plastic, including rainwater harvesting solar panels and even electrical car charging ports.
  • Energy Consumption – crematoria consume significant amounts of energy which often just escapes directly into the atmosphere, however there are ways in which some of this energy can be captured and reused.

Scott believes that the death care sector as a whole must accept the role it continues to play in the climate crisis. “Despite providing much needed and valued services to the communities they operate in, their impact on the environment continues to be damaging and unsustainable. By taking practical steps to fully assess the operation, identifying areas for improvement and actively seeking out solutions which benefit the environment, bereavement service professionals can ensure that the future death care sector delivers far more than it takes away,” he says.

“What is clear is that the most fundamental shift needs to come in mindset, outlook and company culture. It is only by changing your perspective and considering the environmental impact of all activities undertaken can we truly start to make the necessary changes, and see them permeate the entire death care sector,” concludes Scott. 

Executive Officer of the Federation, Brendan Day, said ‘the need for education across the sector and amongst the public is central to ensuring we can reduce the impact of funerals on the environment. To encourage this shift we now provide our members with a free Environmental Awareness Report when we carry out Compliance Inspections and we encourage them to adopt an Environmental policy to support their efforts to be more sustainable’.