Government slow to respond to environmental issues, says Puttnam

by Kim Benjamin, Marketing Direct 09-Nov-07, 12:00

MARKETING DIRECT GREEN DM CONFERENCE - Lord David Puttnam, Chair of the Joint Parliamentary Committee for Climate Change, has criticised the Government for adopting an 'old-fashioned' and 'slow' approach to climate change and environmental issues.

Speaking at Marketing Direct's 'Profiting from Green Policies' conference, held today in central London, Lord Puttnam said the Government will find itself under increasing pressure to respond to climate change issues. He said the Government was struggling to keep pace with the "radical changes" that the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties have proposed.

Lord Puttnam said: "The pace is being set by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. The Government will run the risk of being seen as old-fashioned and I suspect it will adopt a sensible approach to the issue of climate change at a slow and steady pace."

Lord Puttnam also warned that environmental issues are being pushed by a young consumer base which is becoming increasingly knowledgeable and concerned about green issues.

He urged brands to be more responsible in terms of their attitude to the environment: "These young people are brand vulnerable, but also very unforgiving. If they perceive your brand to be at the back of the environmental queue, it could incur brand damage that would be extremely expensive to correct.

"Brands need to be seen as responsible and responsive."