EDF's Corporate Leadership Campaign

Environmental Defense Fund

Overview

THE ISSUE

While setting sustainability targets and taking other voluntary actions to address climate change are critical, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) wanted to raise awareness within the business community that only public policy can deliver emissions reductions at the speed and scale needed to limit the worst impacts of climate change. EDF wanted companies to know that the most powerful tool they have to fight climate change is their political influence – and they wanted businesses to use it.

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OUR APPROACH

Cristina Mestre developed a strategic communications plan for EDF that focused on: building thought leadership for EDF staff as well as leading companies, increasing earned media coverage, creating compelling and relevant content for target audiences, and establishing a network of brand ambassadors and partners to help champion the cause.

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WHAT WE DID

Cristina conceptualized and produced a thought-provoking report, The Blind Spot, to draw attention to the issue of corporate advocacy on climate policy and position EDF as the go-to organization to help companies take action. She also developed a microsite to showcase unity on this issue within the environmental nonprofit community and to provide companies with EDF’s framework for and resources on climate leadership.

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The Blind Sport Report

Despite the importance of climate advocacy, very few corporate sustainability ratings systems factored policy leadership into their methodology. In response, Cristina conceptualized, edited and produced The Blind Spot report to draw attention to the private sector’s performance on advocacy and lobbying for climate action.

Climate Campaign Components

Cristina placed targeted ads in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, developed an interactive and engaging tool to highlight corporate action on climate policy in real-time, and secured speaking engagements and panel sessions at critical corporate sustainability and climate change conferences.

Highlighting Corporate Action on Climate Policy

The Climate Authenticity Meter is the first-ever tool that ranks corporate policy actions in real-time, based on whether they support or obstruct progress on climate policy. The Meter complements the in-depth research conducted by groups such as InfluenceMap and the Center for Political Accountability.

Project Outcome

 Increased Transparency and Corporate Action

The campaign drew attention to companies’ leadership on – or lack of leadership on – climate advocacy, and increased business outreach to EDF and its NGO allies.  The Blind Spot report made a news splash, and was also promoted by key Members of Congress. 

Traffic to the website for the AAA Framework for Climate Policy Leadership, a coalition of NGOs advocating for companies to publicly advocate for climate policy, increased exponentially over the course of just months. Further, the Climate Authenticy Meter caused featured companies to reach out to EDF for help and guidance, in an effort to improve their rankings and reduce reputational risk.