Celebrating four years of Seahorse Environmental
Four years ago, Isabella Gornall set out to launch the UK’s first specialist environmental lobbying and PR agency. Since then, Seahorse has developed into a growing team of passionate environmental specialists delivering impactful and innovative communications campaigns and strategies for a wide range of corporate and NGO clients.
2021 marked a huge year for the environment sector. As the UK hosted COP26, climate finally took the centre stage on the UK’s global agenda. While there is still a long way to go to follow up on commitments made at COP26 and at COP15 later this year, we are proud that our work over the past four years has driven action from parliamentarians, government, businesses and the public on crucial climate and nature issues ranging from the establishment of the Office of Environmental Protection with Greener UK to securing government funding to restore the UK’s temperate rainforests.
In the past year, we have welcomed four new team members including Senior Advisor Graham McMillan and launched our dedicated Ocean Practice. With our growing team we are excited to have expanded our remit launching projects in areas including alternative proteins and fast fashion, alongside our growing work on innovative clean technologies, marine conservation and nature restoration.
As we celebrate our fourth birthday this month and our fourth year being shortlisted for the BusinessGreen Leaders ‘Communications Agency of the Year’ award, we’ve taken a look back on some of our proudest achievements from the past year.
Worked with a range of inspiring NGOs and campaigns including Greenpeace, Blue Marine Foundation, On The Hook and WWF on issues ranging from sustainable seas, fisheries policy and ecolabelling, to a Net Zero Test for UK government spending.
Grew the impactful River Action campaign through the launch of the Plan to Save the Wye, pushing for agribusinesses to recognise their role in river pollution and securing the support of 50,000 signatories on a petition calling for additional funding for the Environment Agency for enforcement of river protection. The campaign has seen multiple successes with one of the UK’s largest poultry producers admitting its culpability on river pollution and the Environment Agency securing £110m for environment and business activities in the 2021 Spending Review.
Expanded our corporate work with a full ESG Reputational Audit of Wessex Water to identify how best they can remediate negative environmental impacts and credibly accelerate their net zero transition.
Carried out a Strategy and Reputational Audit for Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, evaluating their international and domestic goals to support nature restoration.
Launched the Lost Rainforests of Britain campaign with environmental campaigner Guy Shrubsole calling on the UK Government to protect and restore Britain’s temperate rainforests. As a result of our campaigning so far, we are pleased that temperate rainforest received funds for the first time in Defra’s £30m Big Nature Impact Fund.
Produced a Buy Better report with Hubbub on Government fast fashion policy, which revealed longstanding failure to tackle the issue. Buy Better also partnered with Oxfam on its Second-Hand September campaign to organise a photoshoot with cross-party MPs, Ministers and Peers to showcase their support for sustainable fashion.
Continued our work with the Zero Carbon Campaign before it wrapped up at the end of 2021. The campaign successfully raised awareness of the carbon pricing debate, securing over 100,000 signatures on a public petition calling for the extension of carbon pricing and a subsequent Westminster Hall debate.
Raised the profile of CCm Technologies in the media and in Government, with a site visit from Secretary of State George Eustice who has since highlighted CCm as a creative solution to reduce farming’s dependence on inorganic fertiliser.
Expanded our Energy and Clean Tech work with WasteFuel, securing fantastic international coverage in Bloomberg, CNBC and Forbes.
Continued our pro bono work for the APPG on Sustainable Finance and the Seahorse Trust through the launch of eco-moorings in Studland Bay. Alongside this, members of our team continue to dedicate their services voluntarily to a range of environmental organisations including Race for Nature, UK100, Plantlife and Hope for the Future.
None of this would be possible without our brilliant clients, past and present, and all of the amazing campaigners, businesses, activists, politicians and organisations we work with who continually push for the crucial action needed to address the nature and climate emergencies.
After several years of growing momentum, the year ahead looks set to bring renewed jeopardy to the environmental agenda as geopolitical and economic circumstances bolster the calls of its opponents. It is vital that short-term thinking does not win out and that governments, business and citizens hold firm in the understanding that a fossil fuel-free world is a more prosperous and a more secure one in the long run. In that context, we mark our fourth birthday more determined than ever to support ambitious and effective clients in making that case and delivering that reality and look forward to seeing where the next four years take us.
If you’d like to know more about Seahorse and how we can support your work, get in touch at info@seahorseenvironmental.co.uk