BT’s Laura Dexter: sustainability is still not as high on the agenda as it should be
The telecoms giant’s head of brand capabilities tells The Drum why education is key to actioning sustainable transformation.
BT Group consumes nearly 1% of the UK’s electricity / BT
As the UK’s third largest investor in marketing and advertising, BT group’s brand capabilities specialist, Laura Dexter says it has a unique responsibility to nudge its customers forward in their own sustainability journeys. “The fact that we have the category is a pathway to purpose, and we’re excited to share our learning with the industry.”
“In terms of what has to be done to achieve net zero by 2030, we’re looking at how we’re educating and enabling our marketing community and how we can influence sustainable lifestyles and behaviors,” she explains. “Until you have enabled and educated people, how can you expect them to take action?”
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She says that it was this insight that led her to push for change from inside the BT Group. Speaking on a panel at the Earth Day Ad Summit, held by Purpose Disruptors, she spoke of how BT has had science-based targets for its own climate impact mitigation since 2008, “before it was the in-vogue thing to do.”
But despite being committed to a sustainable agenda for a long time, Dexter said this hadn’t necessarily been translated into the group’s marketing strategy. “There was a particular case where one of our brands made an ad that required us to lease not one but two planes. All the while we were proudly promoting that we’re powered by 100% renewable energy.”
She cites the main inhibitor as a lack of education. “I actually think the gap is getting wider in terms of knowledge from people who are interested and passionate in the space.” She’s not wrong. A recent study by the WFA and Kantar found that 35% of marketers say a lack of knowledge is a key factor in their climate inaction.
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“It’s also still not as high up on the agenda as it should be,” says Dexter. “In the corporate world, we’re already so under pressure to deliver that you’re rarely able to just stop and look around. On top of that, sustainability is still seen as a single issue. It’s nice to have if you have the time and budget. But it has to touch everything you do.”
She says that giving people the space to learn about the climate crisis, “we started out by just adding half an hour to hour weekly meeting,” will inevitably start to shift mindsets.
“I can’t think of another example where the educational content you learn at work can be so beneficial to your personal life.” She cites an example of a colleague who, after gaining training and experience in sustainability at BT went on to apply for a grant with her local council to fit her home with solar panels.
“People really pick up that education and bring it to their thinking and decisions outside of work – it’s amazing.”