Sustainability communications: Why organisations can’t afford to stay silent

Why sustainability communications feel harder than ever 

Common themes emerged quickly amongst the participants and their feelings about the world today: uncertainty, overwhelm, frustration, anxiety and concern. 

Those emotions aren’t surprising, we’re operating in a world shaped by climate pressures, geopolitical uncertainty, rapid technological change and increasing scrutiny. Organisations are navigating complexity on multiple fronts, while communicators are being asked to explain actions, progress and purpose in a way that feels both authentic and accountable. 

Against that backdrop, sustainability communications can feel daunting.

Many attendees identified concerns around scrutiny, greenwashing and overclaiming as key barriers to communicating publicly about sustainability activity. Others admitted that capacity and time constraints often mean communications slip down the priority list.

The challenge isn’t always that organisations don’t care. Often, they simply don’t know what’s safe, credible or worth saying.

Sustainability is becoming a business risk issue

Sustainability is increasingly being reframed as risk management. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues are no longer isolated impact initiatives. They are now material business issues with real consequences for organisational performance.

These risks can show up in several ways:

• Financial impacts linked to controversy or reputational damage
• Increasing regulation and disclosure requirements
• Investor scrutiny and ESG assessments
• Customer and stakeholder expectations
• Talent attraction and retention pressures
• What organisations say – and what they choose not to say – increasingly shapes trust.

Sustainability communications are becoming a strategic tool that helps organisations demonstrate transparency, progress and accountability

Why silence can carry risk too

With scrutiny increasing, it can be tempting to avoid communicating altogether, but staying silent has risks of its own. As expectations rise from customers, employees, investors and regulators, organisations are increasingly expected to demonstrate action and progress, even if they are still on a journey.

Perfection isn’t the goal, and people are looking for honesty. Clear communication around where you are today, where you’re making progress and where challenges remain can often build more trust than polished claims or ambitious promises.

Sustainability means different things to different people

Another interesting insight from the session came from asking attendees what sustainability meant to them. The responses varied widely, spanning themes around care, compassion, people, planet, responsibility and future impact.

The variation demonstrated that there isn’t always one shared definition.

For us, sustainability is viewed broadly across environmental, social and governance themes; recognising that impact extends beyond climate alone. Creating alignment internally on what sustainability means for your organisation is often the first step before communicating externally.

Communicating safely: finding the guardrails

The webinar focused not only on why sustainability communications matter, but how organisations can approach them responsibly. The key is creating guardrails and asking questions such as:

• Is this claim evidence-based?
• Can we demonstrate progress?
• Are we being transparent about limitations?
• Are we communicating actions rather than intentions alone?

Strong sustainability communications aren’t about having every answer; it’s about balancing ambition with honesty.

Final thoughts: communicate progress, not perfection 

If there was one message that came through clearly throughout the session, it was this: organisations don’t need to wait until everything is perfect before they begin communicating. 

Sustainability communications are becoming central to how businesses build trust and resilience. Yes, expectations are rising. Yes, scrutiny can feel intimidating. 

But organisations that communicate thoughtfully, transparently and with evidence are often better positioned than those who say nothing at all. As sustainability moves from a standalone initiative into core business strategy, communication becomes more than storytelling. It becomes part of how organisations show up in the world. 

If you would like to watch the session, the replay is available here. 

You can also access the resources and materials we shared in the session below: 

•  Defining what is safe to say guide
•  Materiality assessment guide
•  High materiality topics template 

Ways to Work With Us

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