Interview with Donovan Woollard, Chief Operating Officer, Offsetters

I have always been impressed by the willingness of those in the Green & Sustainability community to share their knowledge and expertise with those of us that have a similar passion and commitment to finding a better way to pursue economic prosperity; one that protects people and the planet.

Over the coming weeks and months, I will be posting interviews I have conducted with business leaders in the Green & Sustainability community. My hope is that we will all become more effective at developing and promoting sustainability within our respective industries and communities as a result.

My first interview in our Leaders of Sustainability series is with Donovan Woollard, Chief Operating Officer for Offsetters. Offsetters is based in Vancouver, B.C., was founded in 2005 and helps businesses reduce their carbon footprint through various consulting services as well as providing carbon offsets.

Here is the transcript of that interview with Donovan. Read the rest of this entry »

Canadians Won’t Quit on the Environment

The Globe & Mail recently published an article about a poll conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of the Dominion Institute. I found the results of the survey, and the subsequent coverage by the media, of great interest.

Among other findings, the survey found that:
- 55% of Canadians believe that serious action on climate change should NOT wait until the recession is over.
- 57% of Canadians believe that Canada should take serious action on climate change right now, even if it means higher defecits.
- 59% agree that Canada will have an environmentally-sustainable economy within their lifetime.
- 66% of Canadians agree that they are prepared to pay more for an energy-efficient product.

Good news indeed.

However, 71% of respondents agreed (but just 30% strongly) with the statement that it is more important for the Canadian government to focus on jobs than on climate change at the moment. Not surprising give the current economic “doom and gloom” in the media, and increasingly affecting the real economy. (Just imagine how much worse the Great Derpression would have been if it had come at a time of the internet and 24/7 cable news coverage)

What I found particulary illuminiating was that consumers do not necessarily see economic development/prosperity and the environment as being opposite sides of the same coin or opposing priorites. The survey found that 73% agree that the Canadian government should only adopt econoimc stimulus measures that are environmentally sustainable.

This is a critical findings, and one that will have implications for businesses of all sizes across Canada. With Canadian consumers increasingly holding the view that their Government should pursue economic development policies that do not come at the expense of the environment, can the same expecation for businesses be far behind?

The good news is that progressive companies of all sizes have found that incorporating sustainability as a key element of their business strategy is an excellent way to create a competitive advantage, increase profits while reducing its impact on the environment. And with any good strategy – it works in both good and poor economic times.

Look forward to your thoughts…