GREEN COMMUNICATION, GREEN RESPONSIBILITY

We are witnessing global trends in which corporations as leaders, and after them all other business stakeholders, thanks to global guidelines and national policies in the last ten years, talk about planetary weather changes that also have an impact on sustainable development. Man's actions also affect climate change, which is one of the few factors of coexistence that man and his technology do not have a comprehensive influence on. This is why we are witnessing new trends in the food industry and beyond, which, through changing its packaging, is directly involved in the preservation of our planet Earth. In this way, for the time being, corporations mostly communicate part of their responsibility to protect the planet in order to send a message to consumers that a new time of joint involvement is coming. However, have we really started raising awareness of our work environment starting with our social community in which your company is created, not only with education at that level but also with education at all levels? First of all, the financial reports of the companies will show whether we really understand the importance of coexistence with the planet Earth or whether these are just marketing messages. Being responsible, and communicating "green" starts from the very management of each company, and each individual, because green responsibility ultimately has its price, and we are only at the beginning of a new era of green communication. Remember the beginnings when the first mobile phones came to the market, what their price was, and what it is today. We will conclude that the price of the production of ecological packaging and all ecological materials today is too high, and that is why the question arises whether the policy of green responsibility is sufficiently politically and budgetarily financed, just as the military industry is excessively financed and health care is insufficiently financed. These are all somewhat obvious conclusions, and that's why I wonder if these are just marketing whims and if everyone will really have the possibility of financial participation. Everything starts with the managers, that is, the management that should make a strategic decision, it is they who must show the direction of the corporate culture, but also in practice. This would mean that the little paper goods: envelopes, letterheads, invoices, invitations... should be on recycled paper. Just as the Croatian government should pass a decree that it will be the first in the world to use its "paper manufacture", including the system of public companies, in this form of communication on recycled paper. Additional customer awareness follows, it can start with the idea that one or more retail chains will give additional bonuses and margins to those companies that have packaging made of recycled material on their shelves and communicate this separately. It can, for example, draw attention to this type of packaging in its weekly catalogs with which it attracts customers, as well as in its advertising of digital weekly promotional products, and create an entire campaign. This communication also requires better visualization, for example at the entrance to the shops to have a special "green story" and "green labeling". As I already mentioned, the green culture of communication is built on several levels, but we can start from "our own backyard". Continuous education of each employee is necessary so that he becomes familiar with the document: "green responsibility". These are guidelines for behavior at workplaces reminding of green responsibility in accordance with internal waste collection standards by visible labeling. Among its strategic goals, the trade community should also adopt a "green declaration" that will oblige them to act together, with which they should also influence the municipal companies to implement real control of the way in which waste moves and how it is actually recycled. We can talk about recycling only if packaging manufacturers and members of the trade community can guarantee that they have done everything to ensure that the packaging they sort in stores and warehouses is actually recycled by the stakeholders to whom they have entrusted waste collection, then that work has been completed in a transparent way that has its own sequence. Green communication has its own green responsibility and it is precisely this direction that I am practically writing to you about. Enforcing regulations, which everyone does in order not to be punished, is not enough. When the community of a certain industry, whether it is the meat industry, producers of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, bakery products, and others, through communication and cooperation of all producers within that sector towards those who carry out waste collection, is sure that it is recycled in the right way then we can talk about green responsibility. If they were to make an analysis of how many administrations actually allocate financial resources on a weekly basis for internal and external projects, communication, and advertising campaigns about green responsibility, it would be reduced only to certain weeks of the year when talking about planet Earth, water conservation and similar days. Maybe that will change, since from 01.01.2024. in addition to financial reports, according to the instructions of the European Commission, reports on sustainable development with an emphasis on green responsibility must be attached, perhaps then the importance of coexistence on planet Earth will be better understood. A few years ago, communication and marketing campaigns were started through various bio or eco certificates, but the question arises not of the labels but of the true consistency, of the control of the manufacturer of those labels, do we really have that control that he implements or is it just one marketing label in a series. New technologies create not only artificial flavors but also surrogates, such as the already well-known case of the production of hamburgers, but not only vegan ones but those that taste like meat and do not contain meat. Consumer habits are changing. Before Corona, I wrote about the new guidelines in which products with less sugar will appear more and more on store shelves. This is exactly what is happening today. It is our shared responsibility to impose through communication channels the importance of green responsibility. There is no single formula for green responsibility, it is the "fruit" of our creativity and there is no end to it. In different ways, through different projects, modalities, communication, and marketing channels, we can make all our workplaces green acceptable and our companies green responsible. It is a process, it takes time, but it is also a big challenge. We are in a time of recession, we are witnessing a constant rise in prices, and according to announcements, we are also expecting a decline in the real estate market. Despite this, citizens' savings have never been higher on the one hand, and on the other hand, Croatian citizens' indebtedness in giro accounts has also never been higher. The population is decreasing, but so is the number of children born. In the next few years, Croatia is expecting a transformation of multiculturalism and coexistence with numerous unknown nations that come from different destinations and parts of the world, where there are different cultures that have neither standards nor life habits like ours. If we draw their attention from the first day, we educate them about the habits of preserving the environment not only in the working environment but also outside it, then "our beautiful" will remain green. Legal regulations should be stricter, not only related to waste disposal but also related to the behavior of citizens in public spaces of cities and towns. While traveling in Croatia, I notice an insufficient number of trash cans. Although we are aware that during the tourist season, the number of tourists will increase in tourist destinations, i.e. those who stay from three to five or more times the actual number of residents in front of shops, shopping chains, and even in the city centers, there is a lack of trash cans, so we are witnessing the perception " dirty "and not green Croatia because the garbage is in the bins and around the garbage cans. These are details that do not require millions of euros, but the green responsibility of every brand and retail chain lies precisely in the increase of trash cans in front of smaller and larger stores. It is the same as if you woke up in front of the door of your apartment or house without garbage, and in the evening you would be greeted by a "dump". That is precisely why when I talk about green responsibility and methodology, it starts from one's own "backyard". Ambassadors of Planet Earth can be volunteers or employees. I am sure that in every company, in a business unit, we will find individuals who live green responsibility, who love nature, who grew up with nature, and who understand that without nature there is no coexistence of humans who are in the role of "parasites" on this planet. Unfortunately, the standards of life, the methodology of work, and business are not equal on this planet, even though we are all its inhabitants. We cannot judge that, what we can do is act. When we pass by trees, parks, and forests, let us be guided by the thought that those trees, those fields, vineyards, and gardens that mean life were there before us and will remain until we, as "passengers" with our souls, leave this planet. Without profit, there is no prosperity and no development, but also without green responsibility, we cannot count on prosperity. Therefore, let's not wait for politicians to think like representatives of the private sector, but direct our options toward a new green strategy. If you haven't already started, move towards green communication, green education, and therefore green responsibility.