http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9/25338054001?isVid=1&publisherID=1137977488

Yesterday, I interviewed Richard Gillies, Director of CSR, Plan A and Sustainable Business at Marks & Spencers for my second book. He gave some really great insights into how and why they’re delivering Plan A (because there is no Plan B), including their first eco-factory in Sri Lanka, which you can see on the Telegraph TV video above.

The company is somewhat coy about what return they have got on their initial £200m five year programme of improvements. The official line is that it has been “cost-neutral, moving into being cost negative”. The main reason why they don’t want to be candid on this is that the main driver for Plan A is to reinforce the ‘trusted brand image’ of M&S;, rather than deliver cost savings, and they don’t want to appear to be mercenary by trumpeting financial savings. But it goes to show that, if you do it properly, green business won’t cost you, but save you money.

Richard said that he saw Plan A as a change management programme, but of all the change programmes he has delivered before, this has been the easiest one to sell to stakeholders both within and outside the business. However there still was a language barrier between the ‘CSR junkies’ and the ‘commercial animals’ even though their interests were aligned.

His prime piece of advice was “seeing is believing – show people examples to get them on board”.

Wise words from a leader in the field.