The corporate sustainability movement is being hailed as the most important worldwide business development since the Internet. Leading companies – including some of the best-known brands on earth – are simultaneously benefiting their profits, the planet and people when they integrate sustainability strategies with their business plans.

Fleishman-Hillard’s team of experts in Asia, Europe and North America are pioneering new approaches to understand and manage stakeholder perceptions of sustainability.  We are uniquely qualified to help corporations consider, attain and communicate sustainable growth. As of January, 2008, our entire company will achieve carbon neutral status. And our expertise is scalable. Fleishman-Hillard is among the few companies that can make a meaningful difference with green efforts at the community level to comprehensive, planet-wide sustainability programs of some of the biggest and best companies in the world.

This blog is maintained and published by members of Fleishman-Hillard’s global sustainability communications practice.  We have more than two dozen sustainability communications practitioners in Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Australia.  Practice group capabilities include:

• Carbon markets
• Sustainability messaging and communications strategy
• Corporate climate response
• Sustainability as a source of competitive advantage
• Building environmental coalitions and partnerships
• Kyoto Protocol and European Union climate change laws and regulations
• Sustainability policies in the UK, US, Europe and Asia.

Fleishman-Hillard’s sustainability practice group members participate frequently on panel discussions at relevant conferences and can provide presentations and speeches on a broad array of climate change, environmental and sustainability topics.

In addition to Fleishman-Hillard’s sustainability specialists, guest bloggers publish entries on P3 from time to time. These guests include scientists, policy makers and executives from companies involved with the sustainability movement.  If you’d like to contribute an entry to this blog, email Malin Jennings, the practice group leader at jenningm@fleishman.com for more information.

LAUREN H. CRAIG
SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, FLEISHMAN-HILLARD ST. LOUIS

Lauren Craig has experience in media relations, community relations and public affairs, with a special emphasis on corporate social responsibility, environmental communications, and corporate awards. 

As a key contributor to AT&T’s corporate citizenship programs, Lauren helps manage the strategy, development, and media relations for national grants on behalf of the AT&T Foundation. On the UPS corporate reputation management team, she is charged with managing the company’s environmental and sustainability initiatives. She also supports the promotion of employee programs and UPS Foundation activities.

She is a member of the FH team that is charged with the development and marketing of the agency’s annual Corporate Social Responsibility Survey, which is conducted in partnership with the National Consumers League.

In addition to her work with FH, Lauren serves on the board of Forest ReLeaf of Missouri, where she provides PR counsel for the organization’s urban reforestation projects.

CHANNING BARRINGER
VICE PRESIDENT, FLEISHMAN-HILLARD SAN FRANCISCO

Channing Barringer has nearly 10 years of agency and in-house public relations experience building and executing programs that include consumer, small business, health¬care, and technology clients. He is a member of the Fleishman-Hillard San Francisco retail and brand marketing team.

Before joining Fleishman-Hillard in the summer of 2006, Channing was director of public affairs at American Express headquarters in New York, and led communications for OPEN from American Express, the company’s small business division.

Additionally, Channing managed consumer card product launches for the company – includ¬ing American Express’ first product targeting young consumers in a specific geographic region – as well as major sponsorships such as the TriBeCa Film Festival; advertising campaigns with Tiger Woods and Jerry Seinfeld; and a national music education fund¬raising effort that featured American Express alongside such legendary recording artists as Sting and Stevie Wonder.

LAURA B. CATALANO
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND PARTNER, FLEISHMAN-HILLARD WASHINGTON, D.C.

Laura Catalano is head of the energy and environment practice in the Fleishman-Hillard Washington, D.C. office.

She specializes in developing and managing integrated communications campaigns designed to build and enhance reputation through intensive media outreach and issues management with a variety of influential audience groups. Most recently she has directed communications programs for the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas, American Chemistry Council, PJM Interconnection, Shell Oil, CSX Transportation, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Department of Transportation.

Before joining Fleishman-Hillard, she worked as a reporter and editor in Washington, D.C. for two highly regarded industry trade newsletters covering energy and environmental policy on Capitol Hill and at the federal agencies.

She helped create and launch a weekly business newsletter covering the California Environmental Protection Agency in Sacramento, Calif. she has spoken at various industry-sponsored conferences on legislative and regulatory issues concerning energy and the environment.