“It is probably the biggest challenge that mankind has ever faced,” said Tomas Brunegard, CEO of the Stampen Group in Sweden and chairman of the Swedish Newspaper Publishers Association. “We, as newspapers, demand action from other people on this issue, and now it's our time to take action.”
One of the themes of the Congress and Forum, which drew 1800 newspaper publishers, chief editors and other senior newspaper executives to Göteborg, Sweden, 1 - 4 June 2008, was the issue of sustainability.
Leif Johansson, CEO of AB Volvo, whose company is producing heavy trucks that run on biofuels, said newspaper delivery trucks drive 6000 miles every night just in the city of Göteborg alone. “That's a sizeable environmental impact and should be done in the most efficient way possible,” he said.
“Your customers, your readers, do they demand an environmentally friendly product?” Johansson asked the congress audience. “If not now, I believe they will much more over time.”
Global warming was also on the agenda of a meeting of member organisations of the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) on the sidelines of the congress.
Directors of national newspaper associations heard presentations on the environmental impact of both print and digital media usage. Newspapers, like other businesses, are coming under pressure to reduce their energy consumption, and the directors discussed what they were doing to sensitise and support their member newspapers on the issue.
Göran Finnveden, head of the environmental strategies research division at Sweden's Royal Institute of Technology, reported on a government-funded and industry supported study to investigate and evaluate the possibilities of media to contribute to sustainable development.
The study measured the environmental impact of the consumption of printed newspapers, Internet-based newspapers and tablet e-paper newspapers. It considered such variables as paper use, electricity use, time spent reading on electronic devices, transport and other factors and found that e-tablets generally had the least impact. The study did not fully consider the construction and disposal impact of such devices, which could contain dangerous materials such as heavy metals.
“The climate threat is huge, and society must change,” said Dr Finnveden. “Technological development is not enough. We also need to change the demands for energy and transport. There is pressure on all sectors of society to try to reduce and mitigate the impact.”
Locally, Primedia Broadcasting launched PrimePlanet, an internal, staff-oriented green campaign, on World Environment Day last week, Thursday 5 June.
The PrimePlanet committee comprises representatives from each department across the business and aims to educate staff on pressing green issues, as well as implement systems to help minimise the group's carbon footprint.
Said Primedia Broadcasting CEO Terry Volkwyn, “After many months of hard work, we are now in the process of finalising our environmental policy for the group - which includes 94.7 Highveld Stereo, Talk Radio 702, 94.5 Kfm and 567 Cape Talk - against which all future operations will be undertaken. As part of this, we have launched our PrimePlanet volunteer group which will work with staff to educate and inform them of ‘greener' ways of doing things, both at the office as well as at home.”
Historically, Primedia Broadcasting has been a socially-aware and socially-responsible brand, always giving something back to the local community through its various projects, promotions and station initiatives. A large part of this has been its numerous greening projects, where trees have been donated to previously disadvantaged areas, including parts of Soweto, Ivory Park and Manenberg.
“Our official move towards becoming an environmentally-sound business means that such community-oriented initiatives will increase, especially as we work towards offsetting our carbon footprint,” said Volkwyn.
Although PrimePlanet is an internal, staff campaign, the group will work to help ensure the business reaches its green goals. For example, recycling is the first area that is being tackled, with recycling bins being placed throughout the building, cleaning staff being trained in separating waste for recycling and all station events, including the Discovery 702 Walk the Talk and Pick ‘n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge, adopting recycling policies.
