The Shell Energy pitch situation might make life difficult for agency CEOs, but that’s what they’re paid to do
James Greet, co-founder of The Payback Project, argues that if your values don’t stop you from going green, then commercial interests should.
Last night I saw an awesome movie at the cinema: A Difficult Year. I won’t spoil the story, other than to say it began with footage of various French presidents over the years, each beginning a different national address with “____ has been a difficult year”.
Earlier in the day, I’d also read that the World Meteorological Organisation’s State of the Global Climate report confirms that 2023 broke every single climate record – not the kind of records we really want to break. Another difficult year and proof of progress of a climate crisis that is entirely human-made.
I worked in the oil industry for thirty years. My hobby is classic car ownership so full disclosure. That said I am agnostic as regards where any individual sources their energy. I am How ever I am against simplistic arguments that 100% renewables is a clean silver bullet. I live in Australia and these observations are from here.I recently was at West Glenrowan where a 250 hectare site with @350000 solar panels has just been commissioned. Quite a sight as well as site. To put that in perspective it is equivalent to 3% of the Latrobe Valley coal stations. Less than many of the small gas powered suppliers dotted around suburban and regional areas. On the same journey I spent time behind a Nissan EV proudly wearing an emissions free badge. It is only emissions free if charged totally from non grid power and I am not even mentioning the emissions deficit that it leaves the factory with that takes about 3 years to negate when compared with an equivalent ICE vehicle. Nobody is prepared to mention the two things we can do to reverse climate change in our lifetime. Population control is the answer to the all problems other than economic growth and corporate profits. So how genuine are we? A distant second is nuclear power. I live in a geographically stable island nation with vast areas of unpopulated land. We have our own uranium and a political stability. Despite this it is impossible to have a civilised conversation on the subject. Meanwhile we blunder on.
“proof of progress of a climate crisis that is entirely human-made!” Really! I think not but I will leave that for another day.
Australians have shown time and time again that they don’t want to be lectured to by industry. I refer to the damage done to the Qantas brand over the last 5 years in particular and lets not mention Woolworths.
So as Agencies why would we do the same? Our business will continue to support products and services that Australians need and want.
The tide is turning particularly when it comes to EV’s for example with virtually all major automakers revising EV forecasts down, so labelling fossil fuels as the “new tobacco” is naive.
Yes we have a responsibility to encourage responsible comms from our clients but it’s a fine line and go too far and it will be damaging for your client and your Agency.
@Cameron J, now I don’t know who you are given your choice to be anonymous but I do know Steve Bannon’s ‘flood the zone with s*@t’ playbook when I see it. In one para you chuck everything in from man made climate crisis denial, tangential comments about Qantas and Woolworths, EV sales going backwards – actually 87,000 sold here in 2023 and 100,000 forecast in 2024 with Feb a record share of all cars sold at 9.6% source: FCAI, – whilst also suggesting Darren Woolley doesn’t know an industry trend when he see’s one.
What I’d suggest however is please do reach out to me via LI so we can have a proper conversation. Or even better still please come and join us for the conversation with Zali and the panel. All perspectives are important and welcome. Hope to see you there.
James
I sense that those who claim to be morally superior and have only ever in their careers worked on “ethical” clients (whatever that means) would never have the balls to front an oil rig worker and tell him to give up his job. But white collar bullying from a keyboard is about all that they are capable of . “He without sin cast the first non disposable coffee cup”.
Mike, I’d never claim to be morally superior. In the past I’ve worked on fags (BAT, Philip Morris, even a brand called Death cigarettes), fossil fuels (MCA, BP, Texaco), gambling (Tabcorp, Ladbrokes), probably heaps of other bad stuff too. I wish I hadn’t but I have, and I can’t change that. What I can do now armed with more knowledge is apply my time and abilities in a different way – as many who are part of the global transition are doing. Hence The Payback Project (name pretty self explanatory). What I’d also never claim to be is familiar with the oil rig Industry. I’ll leave that to that industry’s experts to lead that difficult conversation regarding its transition. Instead I’ll stick to this industry that I’m familiar with. I’m also not simply sitting behind a keyboard – we’ve created a public event to continue this conversation and have invited everyone interested to join. Which we’ve done. If you’d like to be part of that conversation regardless of perspective please connect (you have my mobile) and / or come and join the panel discussion – see humanitix link. Be great to have you there. Ps Bring any oil rig workers you know too. Be nice to meet one. Best, James
James
To be frank my comments were principally aimed at Comms Declare who I find utterly repugnant in their hypocrisy. I’m not from a white collar background and the guys I know on the north west shelf do 28 days on 28 days off so I’m not certain they’ll be available – I’ll be in touch .
You’ll do what you’re told.