How to Communicate Your Sustainability Journey

So your organization is taking steps towards being more sustainable. Awesome. I’m sure they also make a lot of decisions that aren’t 100% sustainable, like umm selling products.

We’re now in a place where most companies know they need to do better for the planet. This is great! Customers also want to purchase from companies that aren’t doing unnecessary harm to our planet. This alignment therefore creates great opportunity to do better whilst meeting customer needs.

That being said, it’s not easily done. Consumers are savvy and on are high alert for greenwashing. It’s important that your message is authentic and doesn’t end up backfiring on you.

The #1 Rule: Be Transparent

Share every step.

Share why you made those decisions.

Share where you’re struggling, but also where you’re aiming to get to.

Customers understand that shifting to a more sustainable business model is not easy or straightforward. They’ll appreciate your honesty and openness far more than someone trying to portray an image of getting everything right from day one. With this comes honestly, humility and frankly acknowledging all your pitfalls as well.

Planks clothing recently did this very well in their blog post ‘We Are Not Eco-Friendly’. They clearly outline what they’ve done thus far, but also where they need to get to and their plan on how they’ll get there in the coming years.

BUTTERM!LK has also been transparent about their Zero Waste Journey. After pledging to remove all plastic from their chocolate and fudge packaging in 2019, just a year later they learned their compostable packaging wasn’t actually the best all-around sustainable option. So they’ve switched to a recyclable option for now, and are working on finding a solution that is both recyclable & plastic-free.

Also, write in plain terms

Don’t try and make it sound like you’re doing more than you are. Don’t try to hide the flaws you still have at your company. Be real. Customers understand it’s a complicated journey and appreciate the honesty. Keep it simple so that anyone can understand.

Want to take action?

If you’re a business leader who’s thinking, damn we need to do more, the POW Pledge is a great place to start. It’s a digital toolkit that outlines the eight most impactful ares of your business to reduce your carbon footprint, and walks you through how to do it.