Insight Climate Collective launches

Launched by Nick Baker, Jem Fawcus, Denise Hicks, Louise McLaren and Russ Wilson, the group aims to create an industry action plan to address climate issues.

The group has called on others in the sector to join the collective via a LinkedIn group and help to formulate systemic solutions to sustainability challenges.

It is also seeking industry feedback on a draft manifesto outlining the initiatives it aims to launch, including developing an industry charter with the MRS, developing a cross-agency resource to aggregate climate data and offer benchmarks, and providing a forum for people to launch activism.

Jem Fawcus, group chief executive at Firefish, told Research Live: “The Insight Climate Collective has been formed to bring together conversations and give voice to all of us concerned about the climate; to influence our own sector to get its house in order, and to use our skills and resources to help our client partners take informed action.

“In teams and businesses across the sector I know that this is a key issue and conversation for many people, most of whom are concerned about the climate and want to take action, but feel a bit powerless – very much as I did. We want to bring all these people and conversations together, to give a voice and the power to take meaningful action, both as individuals but also magnifying the reach and impact through the actions of their businesses.”

The group is in the process of working on exactly what role market research should play in tackling climate challenges – one of its objectives, along with the MRS, is to establish a means of tracking the industry’s environmental performance. Earlier this month, the MRS introduced a sustainability pledge to address environmental challenges.

“What is clear is that an industry that is rich in behavioural and attitudinal insight and data, that helps our client partners develop successful business strategies that impact on the world both environmentally and culturally, and that has historically been very successful at helping businesses ‘sell more stuff’ should have an important role to play,” said Fawcus. “We are actively working through this very question, and believe the answers lie in the collective wisdom of all in the industry.”

Fawcus added: “None of the other [industry] challenges will be made any easier unless we address climate and sustainability issues alongside them.”