Sometimes you leave an event brimming with ideas, energy and enthusiasm. Other times it’s exactly the opposite. I experienced the latter after wandering out of the Reboot Britain event yesterday. Billed as pointing the way forward for our beleaguered nation after a year or so of economic and political disarray I found it rather flabby and superficial, especially in its attempts to grapple with the environment. Perhaps I was experiencing a Boomtown Rats-esque Monday, or simply selected the wrong sessions but suddenly my office seemed a more inspirational place to be than Savoy Place on the Embankment.
Such was my glumness that before bailing out I refused to raise my hands when one of the speakers in a session on business and sustainability asked the audience whether they believed the world could be a better place. Staring at him I suddenly was awash with pessimism. Hearing his idea for a rather rubbish website on getting companies to be open about their environmental impact (here’s the site – feel free to disagree) did not dispel my negativity.
My concerns were not held in isolation. During the one session I attended which did at least explore some interesting arguments – it was on creativity Vs climate change – an architect piped up during the Q&A session. She voiced frustration at separate professions seeing themselves as heroes in tackling environmental problems alone and was “a bit fed up” with seeing yet more new green websites offering advice on how to be sustainable.
This at least got a debate going. One of the panel of speakers, a founder of a new green website offering advice on how to be sustainable, was somewhat piqued. To be fair Naresh Ramchandani, founder Do the Green Thing, has a pretty decent site which injects creativity and humour into the green debate, two qualities that are often lacking in the movement. And the qualities he described that everyone in sustainability needs to adhere to – modesty, collaboration and optimism – struck a chord with me. Crumbs of comfort then as one leaves disappointed from a conference.
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on Jul 7th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Well I’m sure you’ll have a better time when you come to be2camp brum on August 12th….
on Jul 13th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
I’m fully confident it will be Rob. Just booked my train ticket for the event. Looking forward to a trip to the Midlands
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 7:57 am
Phil,
Feel free to call into the SBC if you’re in the Midlands, we’ll even collect you at Leamington Station!
I share your enthusiasm for creativity and humour in the environmental debate. If we are to convince the majority of people to affect their behaviours and purchasing decisions then we must provide solutions that do not compromise lifestyles. Propositions must be practical, economic and available!
And maybe, just maybe, we could have a little fun too.
I’ve never been accused of being too serious myself!
on Jul 30th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Phil,
Sorry to hear I had some kind of Medusa effect on you at Reboot Britain and you think SEE is rather rubbish! I would be glad of the opportunity to learn of your specific problems/dislikes and thus be in a position to respond to them.
We have three companies in and around your industry/sector signed up at the moment and we are speaking with a few others ahead of launching in October. We have succesfully made the case to them that being open and honest on a range of Social, Environmental and Ethical issues makes good (business) sense.
Please explain where you think we are going wrong.
on Aug 6th, 2009 at 7:57 am
Hi Michael,
Thanks for the comment.
In many ways I was in the wrong frame of mind entering your session, having endured some poor ones before. That may have coloured my judgement on your site.
I suppose my main issues is that the site seems one for converted, rather than will actively convert, which mirrored some of the comments during the session. By that I mean those that are willing to be be open and honest about their CSR/ environmental credentials. Why would you want to be open if your record was rubbish?
Could there be a user generated element to the site, where consumers put forward information or ask member companies questions?
I think there are strong elements to the site – the branding, some of the functionality (clicking on the answers to questions with more explanations is neat) and the simplicity. I’m just struggling to see it achieve real traction.
What do I know? I only write about stuff.