Good sustainability communication is:
A management priority - investing in open dialogue and allocating resources, as it will be one of the cornerstones of the company's credibility and a clear competitive advantage
Transparent - tell how things are now, what is going well, where improvements are needed, and how you plan to progress. Communicating about shortcomings builds trust among stakeholders.
Honest and open - communicate about sustainability work comprehensively and honestly.
Concrete and verifiable - develop metrics for reporting on responsibility work. A great option for all companies regardless of size is to use metrics in accordance with the EU's sustainability reporting directive (CSRD), even if your company is not obligated to report under the directive. This way, stakeholders can find comparable sustainability information about your company.
Engaging: consider your needs and views of stakeholders and involve them in dialogue.
Good sustainability communication is not:
Greenwashing or any other color washing: highlighting a certain aspect of your business's sustainability but failing to mention other possible faults or what will be done about them.
Occasional: communicating only sporadically and only about positive achievements
Dishonest: providing false or misleading information about your own sustainability work
Voluntary - with the reporting obligations (CSRD), an increasingly large portion of companies are obligated to report on their responsibility. Reporting on your sustainability work is a competitive advantage, and most often expected by your stakeholders.
