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What's in a brand?

I was struck as I sat and listened to two of the most respected voices on well-being and sustainability by how businesslike they sounded.
opinion_editorial1

I was struck as I sat and listened to two of the most respected voices on well-being and sustainability by how businesslike they sounded.

The argument for thinking and acting sustainably to them wasn't just that it is the right thing to do; they believe it is crucial if a business or idea is to find success in the long-term.

One's "brand" has to capture the essence of the idea otherwise there is a risk of being left behind by the market or being eclipsed by someone else doing it better.

The story of what you are and how you got there becomes part of the success. Of course, we know this to be a successful formula. Just look at the global success of Ikea and Volvo — two companies speaker Dr. Goran Carstedt spent years leading.

And yet as the world struggles to deal with what feels like a recession — economists can argue amongst themselves if we are meeting all the marker definitions — sustainability and the initiatives that go along with it seem to be the first on the chopping block.

Both Carstedt and his speaking (and skiing) companion Dr. John Holmberg see this as a dangerously shortsighted way to find savings.

But they did not come with a big stick scaring their audience into submission; rather they made reasoned arguments about why businesses must adopt sustainable practices... for the bottom line.

Carstedt pointed to the fact that China, a huge consumer of goods — and the government is pushing for people to buy even more to make up for declining exports and to provide markets for other nations — a huge producer of goods, and huge carbon emitter is publicly talking about climate change. It is after all big business.

China produced 7.71 million tones of CO2 (up 13.3 per cent) according to the latest 2009 figures from the Energy Information Administration — that's more CO2 than the U.S. and Canada put together. And it is expected to triple its CO2 emissions in the next 30 years.

Yet even in China, said Carstedt, change is happening. China became the world's third-largest solar panel market in terms of new installations in 2011, he said. This is being driven by the declining cost of solar power systems and government incentives. And, of course, the technology is being manufactured and exported because the world is demanding it. Change through the bottom-line, so to speak.

Both Holmstead and Carstedt encouraged their audience to think of the world as a spaceship.

"Few people think business as usual is the answer," said Carstedt.

"Sustainability is a business imperative."

In this regard, said Carstedt, Whistler is seen as a world leader. "But now you are being tested because times are getting tougher."

He applauded Whistler Blackcomb and the resort for their publicly stated goals of "zero footprint" in operations. "If this can be done in the resort it is good for the rest of the world. We won't change the world if we don't have powerful examples."

Said Holmberg: "The question is that when you have a stable situation the question is how do you use it to create change," said Holmberg.

"How can we put forward environmental concerns, but also how can we put forward these ideas in the market? It is clear that with declining resources the future market will be about sustainability. The most efficient production system, when it comes to resources, will be the winners in future.

"The issue is about (thinking) 10 years in the future... are you concerned about more than the next three years?"

With the just released Action Plan from our new mayor and council we see under the heading "Increased accountability and engagement," that the relationship with the Centre for Sustainability is to be reviewed.

The centre is a confusing entity for many in the community. It is a non-profit, running on an annual budget of about $650,000 per year. Half comes from consultancy fees that the centre charges to its out-of-town clients, including the provincial government and other municipalities. About a quarter comes from Whistler ($190,000), which shifted its budget for overseeing Whistler 2020 to the Sustainability Centre when it was founded; the centre doesn't charge any additional consultancy fees for this service. And the final quarter comes from a grab bag of other sources, including government grants, workshop fees and more.

Some have wondered that it should cost so much to run and oversee Whistler2020 and so it seems likely that the Action Plan will take a welcomed look into the value of what Whistler is getting out of the relationship.

But a measured look is also needed if Carstedt and Holmberg's comments about the resort's ten-year journey toward sustainability is to remain a crucial part of Whistler's story and brand.

We cannot lose sight of the fact that our "sustainable" nature is part of what sells the resort worldwide. That, and of course our amazing snow this year, and the image of pristine nature that we offer to the traveler.

It is in essence part of our brand. And this, as Carstedt stated, is our promise to the visitor — our shareholders — that we are part of the solution.

Is Whistler perfect in its quest to be sustainable — no. Obviously there is so much more residents and businesses can do. But there is no escaping that it is the right thing to do both for the environment and for the bottom-line.

As always though it comes down to achieving it at a cost we can all afford, whether we are the traveller or the destination.