Corporate Social Responsibility initiative in the Caribbean - The Environment

Holistic public relations practices goes beyond people.  You also have to take the planet into consideration.   In the Caribbean we most times neglect our environment but being environmentally conscious is also good for business.  

Do you know what the above symbols mean?  How do we dispose of waste in Barbados, Antigua or Guyana?  How much electricity does St. Kitts and Nevis or St. Vincent and the Grenadines use?  Is there a more efficient alternative?  Are our vehicles roadworthy, or are our trucks smoking so much they could be on the verge of lung cancer?  In Trinidad and Tobago their are environmental police officers but how many other Caribbean countries have this?  How many trees do we cut down on a daily basis – could you use a little less paper?  Do you use harmful pesticides?  These are the kinds of questions we need to ask ourselves if we are to truly take a holistic approach to our Corporate Social Responsibility initiative in the Caribbean. It’s not just a ‘one-way street’.

In a Pew Research Institute survey on American Values, 67% of respondents said that you should pay more to protect the environment, and 90% agreed that there should be stricter laws and regulations to protect the environment.  And, guess who the laws and regulations will ultimately be for? Companies, of course!  

So, why wait to be mandated to do the right thing? The consumer has spoken.  Rack up those brownie points and be viewed as a good corporate citizen by incorporating sustainable environmental practices into your business strategy.  Go the entire distance with your Corporate Social Responsibility efforts and be rewarded with long-term customer and employee loyalty.