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The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a huge wake-up call for all of us. We all must carefully consider the devastating impact that the actions of corporations and individuals are having on our world’s eco-system. Much has been written and will continue to be written about BP and the public relations nightmare it caused itself through the epic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. But you may not know that there’s another ongoing environmental controversy centered around the issue of deforestation and a company called Asia Pulp and Paper (APP).   Businesses and organizations everywhere can learn a great lesson from the situation APP finds itself in. APP is a division of the mega corporation, Sinar Mas, and calls itself one of the world’s leading pulp and paper companies.
APP has recently been linked to being a major contributor to deforestation. Deforestation, the human-caused disappearance of naturally occurring forests by logging or burning, is a huge problem in today’s world.   It is estimated that around 50% or more of the world’s plants and animal species live in the 7% of the world where rainforests currently exist. For example, the most famous of rainforests, the Amazon, a majestic 1.4 billion acre (5.5 million square kilometers) rainforest located in South America covering sections of 9 different countries, has only 82.3% of the moist broadleaf forest cover it had in 1970.   It is also estimated that between 1991 and 2000, the total loss of Amazon rainforest increased from 415,000 square kilometers to almost 600,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych],000. The data above is according to Wikipedia.com.
Another lesser known but equally struggling rain forest, the Indonesian rainforest, has made recent headlines after a report from Greenpeace. In the report, Greenpeace accuses Asia Paper and Pulp of “relentlessly trashing rainforests, driving species extinction and, if left unchecked, will threaten Indonesia’s efforts to address climate change.” APP is a division of the mega conglomerate, Sinar Mas, and calls itself one of the world’s leading pulp and paper companies. According to CNN.com, Indonesia is one of the world’s biggest culprits of emitting greenhouse emissions largely because of the clear-cutting and burning of rainforests for logging and other purposes.   Indonesia has long been a recipient of criticism for its environmental practices mainly because of disregard for international and even their own laws. APP is currently going through a public relations nightmare due to the Greenpeace report, and of course is claiming Greenpeace’s claims are exaggerated. Yet things recently took a turn for the worse for Sinar Mas when in July, 2010 Wal-Mart, already becoming a major advocate for transitioning its customer base to the use of sustainable green bags)announced it has “taken steps to stop” buying their paper, as a result of this and other controversies surrounding APP. Sounds like APP’s denial of the problem is making things worse and now costing them major business. The loss of Wal-Mart’s business over the next year will significantly impact their bottom line.
This brings us to a great question: In today’s difficult world-wide economy, how can business’s ensure they are adopting environmentally-friendly and energy efficient business practices and not on the wrong side of a PR controversy?   Business.Gov, the official business link to the US Government, has an 11-step guide to help companies ensure they are energy efficient, compliant with environmental regulations, and recognized as a “green business”.
Here are the steps (Click here to visit their site):
1 – Comply with Environmental Regulations
2 – Develop an Environmental Management Plan
3 – Build Green
4 – Buy Green Products
5 – Adopt Energy Efficient Practices
6 – Reduce, Reuse
7 – Recycle Wastes
8 – Conserve Water
9 – Prevent Pollution
10 – Create a Green Marketing Strategy
11 – Join Industry Partnership and Stewardship Programs.
Step 4 “Buy Green Products”, is a great suggestion that many companies fail to consider.   A unique way to raise awareness about deforestation while promoting your brand is through eco friendly promotional products like seed paper, which is made of actual seeds and can still germinate and sprout into a flower when planted. Something as simple as seed cards such as a seed business card or a seeded thank you card can create a truly memorable interaction with a client or industry colleague. You could also include a statement about deforestation on the stationary, making it absolutely clear about where your company stands on environmental issues. Another one that stands out on this list is step 6, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Wastes”. Remembering to reduce and reuse is the best way to eliminate the need to recycle in the first place.
Now is the time to take action to stop deforestation as well as ensuring your company is recognized as a “green business”, thus solidifying your green reputation. The 11 steps above are a great guide for any business owner or CEO to implement green practices in your business.   Embrace the challenge of perpetually improving your organization’s environmental footprint. Your company’s leadership and example will help stop the devastating effects of deforestation and the investment will be well worth it.