Speaking Sensis

News.com.au recently awarded Sensis with the “Can do better award” in their 2008 environment awards, but all is not what it seems. The following is a letter sent to the news.com.au editor David Higgins by Karina Keisler Group Manager, External Communications at Sensis.

David and the News Limited team,

It’s great to see our peers in the advertising/media comms sector joining the environmental awareness program.

At Sensis we work very hard to ensure the sound environmental management of all our operations and we are also the first to admit there’s always an opportunity to do more and as such we are constantly reviewing our sustainable business practices.

However, as the recipient of the ‘Can do better award,’ it would be remiss of me not to raise a question regarding the validity of the award winners being largely determined by the people, and rather by management running the awards program.

Notably, the ‘people’ did not choose us as the winner. In fact we were a clear third place recipient behind a News Limited journalist and Australian retailers. The judges, including yourself, have decided to veto the people’s vote and select us as the winner based on what appears to be a clear lack of facts.

For the record, let me make a few important points supporting the positive impact the White Pages® directory continues to have on the Australian community, combined with Sensis’ sound environmental management of the White Pages® directory.

Firstly, it’s important to recognise the White Pages® directory provides essential information to households and to businesses – this is recognised not only by Sensis and the community at large, but by the Government who legislates the delivery of the directory to all households and businesses in Australia as a means of connecting people.

Secondly, the White Pages® directories are delivered under rigorous quality control processes via distribution partners. This in turn creates employment and further drives local economies. These partners include a number of community groups, such as scout groups, who use the opportunity to raise much needed funds. In some regional areas, as much as 60% of the distribution is carried out by community organisations who reap financial benefit.

Thirdly, the fibre content of paper used within White Pages® directories contains an average of 45% recycled paper fibre and 27% recycled timber mill waste, with the remainder sourced from sustainably managed forests. Furthermore, last year 96% of telephone directories were recycled or re-used and our efforts to continue increasing this figure has paid dividends with yearly increases in recycling and re-use rates.

It’s also important to note there are still a number of people who don’t have the luxury of internet access – which I imagine includes a large number of News Limited readers. Nationally, only two-thirds (66%) of homes in major cities have internet access, compared to less than half (42%) for very remote Australia. Broadband is used by 46% of homes in major cities and 24% in very remote Australia .

People also tell us they like to have options. So even those who have internet access, may prefer to grab a directory to logging onto a computer.  Directories connect people – they are tools that connect communities and build economic prosperity.

And finally, this year will see the publication of our third sustainability report and our participation in the Corporate Responsibility Index to benchmark our efforts against other major corporations across Australia.

So while we laud you for promoting environmental awareness in the community, in the future, we recommend more rigorous controls on your judging and awards process to ensure the recipients are equally worthy.

Karina Keisler
Group Manager, External Communications
Sensis

LINKS

Sensis and the environment

Sensis environmental policy