BBDO Lanka Goes Green

Friday, 24 February 2012 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The importance of environmental conservation has become an increasingly challenging area of evaluation for many organisations. With the growing focus on minimising an organisations carbon footprint, an increasing number of companies have taken the initiative to enhance awareness and minimise negative impact on the environment.

BBDO Lanka Limited, a part of the world’s top creative advertising agency BBDO Worldwide, recently took the initiative to become the first advertising agency in the South Asian region to instigate carbon footprint assessment, after which the company focused on minimising its impact to as great an extent as possible – followed by the implementation of Carbon Credit Buying, in partnership with the Carbon Consulting Company, in order to offset the unavoidable carbon footprint generated.

Speaking on the path breaking initiative, Santosh Menon, Managing Director, BBDO Lanka explained “The impact any organisation has on the environment cannot be cancelled out altogether. What a business can do is attempt to minimise its carbon footprint and take the necessary steps in order to offset the level of unavoidable carbon generated. Through our involvement with the carbon credit process, we have taken the first step toward ensuring a better future for us all. Carbon Credits help reduce the impact of carbon emissions, thereby increasing good air, not simply to cancel out the carbon produced by many organisations, but to help create a better environment for us all.”

The Carbon Consulting Company (CCC) aims to help organisations reduce their environmental impact and maximise the CSR and marketing opportunities arising from these efforts. The CCC’s mission is to help corporate leaders and decision makers develop the skill sets and knowledge base that would be required for survival in the dawning era of a low carbon economy. The CCC is a Carbon Footprint Expert certified company, and is accredited by the Carbon Trust, the UK Government’s carbon standards body. It is also an official certifier of the CarbonNeutral Company of the UK.

Sanith de S. Wijeyeratne, Chief Operating Officer of The Carbon Consulting Company, speaking on BBDO’s accreditation said “The issue of minimising the carbon footprint each company generates is an ever growing concern. By being proactive about making a difference, BBDO has set an example to the advertising industry. We are very pleased that BBDO Lanka has chosen to take this step and hope other companies will make the same call”.

Speaking on the initiatives within BBDO, Chanithi Gunasekera, Account Director, BBDO Lanka emphasised the importance of conservation on every level “There is little tolerance in this day and age for companies that are not environmentally aware and active. The initiatives taken by BBDO Lanka are a stride in the right direction – and we are proud to be the first advertising agency in South Asia to take this step. BBDO worldwide is known for coming up with path breaking ideas and at BBDO Lanka, we emulate that culture, not just by delivering world class advertising and communication, but also by being a front runner in the drive toward a more environmentally aware industry. This initiative is just the start of a major drive toward making BBDO Lanka an example of an advertising agency that balances its work and its social responsibilities”.