Most people know what climate change is, but they don’t know when and how it will affect them and what they can do about it.

Pakistan’s vulnerability is high, although our contribution to the global problem is relatively low. Climate change has made Pakistani summers hotter, increased our utility bills and brought disasters (floods and cyclones) without warning.

Pakistani consumers and brands are equally at risk of climate-related brand disasters. It is like a game of Russian roulette. We can never be sure exactly which chamber has the bullet, but unlike Russian roulette (which has six chambers in the gun, one of them housing the bullet), climate roulette has many chambers. So many, in fact, that brands, policymakers and individuals sometimes think the bullet isn’t really there. A dangerous fallacy. The Russian roulette analogy is relevant as scientists have not yet been able to model climate change accurately, leaving us with an uncomfortable uncertainty. Nobody knows the date and time of the next climate disaster to hit Pakistan.  Although climate change is a global problem, and it is unfair that Pakistan is taking a disproportionate brunt of its effects, we have no choice but to play our part in terms of reducing its impact.  

I am certain that the added pressure of building ‘climate positive programming’ into brands is unwelcome given that most brands are already buckling under the pressure of decreasing consumer purchasing power, increasing competition and more government taxation.

Added to this, a ‘pro-climate’ global movement is making its way to Pakistan. Being on the ‘right side’ of this movement will be crucial as it threatens to affect the relationships brands have with their consumers – especially Gen Z. We have already seen what can happen to brands that unwittingly veer onto the ‘wrong side’ of movements, such as BDS without an effective mitigation strategy in place. Some brands will feel the heat more than others. ‘Active environment harmers’ such as petroleum companies, airlines, factories and the hospitality industry are likely to face more heat from consumers and governments alike. The ‘brand disaster’ bullet can come in the form of boycotts, new carbon taxes and reputational loss. The ‘less environment harming brands’ may be partially shielded from the bullet, but they will not be immune, and they too will need to deal with increasingly climate aware consumers.

How Brands Can Do Better

Before delving into what to do, let’s first tackle what not to do. Half-hearted action can be more damaging than inaction. Fake or exaggerated action, often referred to as ‘greenwashing’, can invite a much bigger backlash than unwittingly being on the wrong side of climate change. On the subject of what to do, here is a three-element framework for Pakistani brands: Do less harm, get better at dealing with climate shocks and get better at helping consumers deal with climate shocks of their own.

Brands need to audit any activity that potentially adds to the climate change problems. These include auditing their carbon footprint as well as other environmental audits. They should develop a strategy for ‘harm reduction’. Harm reduction is not about eliminating the ‘harm’, which could be tantamount to killing an industry – it is about minimising harm to the lowest practical level. Harm reduction action needs to be meaningful and publicised honestly. This could include replenishing the water table, reducing emissions, using recyclables and sustainable materials and moving towards renewable energy.

This has less to do with marketing and more to do with planning and logistics, especially as disruptions in service delivery can be damaging for brands. Mitigation steps include identifying innovative solutions such as resilient agriculture, resilient supply chains and disaster-resilient IT systems. Resilience built by brands to mitigate climate shocks increases consumer confidence.

Consumers going through climate-related shocks (heatwaves, floods, etc.) will value brands that empathise with them. This doesn’t need to exclusively be in the form of physical consumer incentives or benefits; it can be advice and information. Innovations such as Tesla’s Powerwall battery system for households, Apple’s HomeKit and Ikea’s ‘sustainable living collection’ are good examples of how brands can help customers cope with climate-related shocks.

Climate-positive brand behaviour may well become the next big thing for brands in Pakistan. It may well be a competitive advantage.

Afzal Hussain is COO, M&C Saatchi World Services Pakistan. afzal.hussain@mcsaatchi.com