notes Anne SchapiroNiel editions Marabout

While the Nairobi Summit ends, the concern of the planet was never as much at the heart of our concerns. For months, public institutions, companies, distributors and brands take turns in the media to distill the good word of the "gesture" to citizens The new D3E, stream for recycling, also comes to know it more issue to give up on the sidewalk their old position of TV or washing machine, and that now the hand to the wallet to fund their 2 million tonnes annual electrical and electronic waste recycling by eco-contribution should be. "The theme of ecology to panicked crowds, it is finished." "It now reconcile the ecology and economy with the ego of the consumer and stop focus speech on too distant future to put it in the newspaper", explains Denis Gancel, leader of the W Communication & Design Agency, a subsidiary of Havas. In vogue, the theme of the "gesture", good for the planet, good for the ego of the citizen and... carrying for policy and trademarks.

The Ministry of ecology and sustainable development made the heart of a large public communication this autumn campaign. Its slogan "There is no small gestures when 60 million to make." "The objective is to demonstrate that, by simple gestures, can do much to combat climate change and saving biodiversity without fundamentally changing his life on a daily basis." "By its acts of purchase in supermarket, the consumer can either pollute or protect", defends the Minister Nelly Olin. Following this, the city of Paris offers its inhabitants to become "Climate volunteers" and to consider solutions to limit pollution.

Speech to action

Including the argument is to fly to the "citizen-consumers", marks rush on the niche. Clever, Voyages-sncf has launched an eco-comparer in partnership with the Agency of environment and energy (management Ademe). The fearsome test allows the traveller to compare on a same trip gas emissions greenhouse between different modes of transport. He demonstrated in a click train emits four times less carbon dioxide (CO2) per passenger than the aircraft, and 3.5 times less than the car. "This allows you to become the player of a more responsible consumption while making economies", argues Voyages-sncf to Internet users. For their part, fashion brands grow under the spotlight their pulls in large mesh under the cover of us to turn down the thermostat. Catalog sales remotely Somewhere of the Redoubt has launched a range of organic textile finely named "Believe in Origins" ("believe the origins"). Insurers reward and encourage the "zen attitude" at the wheel. Speed limits previously claimed to preserve us accidents are now advocated to reduce CO2 emissions. Thus, the Macif offers courses on "conduct debate", for "learning to drive efficient", and has implemented a system of incentives to reduce rates of insurance by 10 if the vehicle is considered to own. On the site of the insurer, a system to calculate, "which can weigh in the balance when the client is undecided on his purchase", says Christophe Rougeon, head of the private market.

Finally, the energy encouraged by regulation rediscovering "energy conservation consultants", like Total gas, which launched the EcoDéclic solutions. Objective: to assist consumers to optimize its consumption by combining propane to a renewable energy. "Beyond the classical discourse and conceptual ecology-economy, we wanted to preempt a new territory of communication: action", explains Marc Salomone, CEO of Brand Advocate, this operation marketing agency. A mini-series broadcast on the intranet, the Eco of families", distils tips and tricks.

Media and publishers are suddenly not remains: "50 million consumers" has just released a special "eating green" to propose "50 environmental and economic solutions" and editions Marabout come to add a new opus to their "The small Guides of the lazy" series called "the lazy commit". The book lists on the tone of humor every opportunity to engage with others and the planet. "Previously, books on engagement targeted those who time." Today, the urban their suractifs are interested to participate in their daily lives in many ways. Before, religion could have a thought for his neighbor. Today, it is the environment. ", notes Anne Schapiro-Niel editions Marabout. Where a flowering of initiatives "of eco-compensation" as the program Action Carbonne providing individuals or organizations to offset their CO2 emissions by donating used to fund environmental projects.

"Green Christmas".

The Green however could sell more if he was a participant in the heart of the consumer. This is the point of view defended by the W Agency: "the Viewer is surinformé, the citizen is aware, the surveyed is conquered and ready for anything, but the consumer", queries Denis Gancel. The survey conducted by Opinion Way for W shows the gap between the actions and intentions (see illustration). The Pilot mark knows something: its fully recyclable Beegreen pen is shunned by individuals while it is used by businesses that part it of their "responsible" purchasing, and argue in their annual reports! "When the consumer is not required by legislation, it does not pass to the Act", said Marcel Ringeard, President of Pilot Europe. "So with one-upmanship in this area, it is of amalgam between sustainable, organic, and fair, and became suspicious in enquiring about the merits of certain innovations."

For a more effective leverage effect, the Agency W suggests to reverse the involvement of the consumer relationship from the concern for the self to the planet rather than starting too distant elements of his daily. The example to follow As Toyota with the Prius, a hybrid thermal and electrical. "They have made ecology part of mix-marketing and have been cleverly talk about the Nobel Prize in physics Pierre-Gilles de Gennes as driver rather than as an expert." The result: sales explode. In the United States, there is a year of waiting. "And the stars to uproot it: Leonardo Di Caprio has arranged its 4 4 to the garage and commissioned 7 Prius", says Delphine Chomette, Director of the development of W. But to make ecology a criterion of choice of the product, must be able to also change certain beliefs very upstream. Thus the laundry Ariel, which is struggling to impose his laundry "active cold", both "little effective equal cold" belief is rooted in the minds of consumers. Probably should also act on sympathetic Springs, such as the initiative of British ecologists who advocate a "green Christmas": turn out the lights, lower heating and use recycled gift paper. A good beautiful topic of campaign for the French distribution...