PR is a powerful tool that can shift perceptions and influence behavior, especially when it comes to sustainability, says Kite Hill’s Emma Wolfe.
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This article was originally published on PRWeek.com.
2024 is gearing up to be a crucial year in the fight against climate change for businesses, employees, stakeholders and consumers alike.
With sustainability top-of-mind, business leaders are increasingly emphasizing environmental, social and governance efforts and paying particularly close attention to how they communicate about their environmental efforts. Companies are expected and oftentimes required, to publicly share their environmental goals and show consistent progress in achieving them. It’s highly unlikely that we’ll ever revert to a time when this isn’t the case.
Articulating sustainability initiatives is far easier said than done, and companies all too often fall flat in their communications as a result. While one-off social media posts can be perceived as performative, leveraging long-term PR strategies can help businesses successfully communicate and inspire meaningful change in the long run.
It’s clear that authenticity and transparency have become a requirement for bottom-line business growth, and PR has a critical role to play in shaping the message. Let’s explore how businesses of all sizes and from all industries can leverage PR to effectively communicate their sustainability efforts in the year ahead.
Beware of greenwashing and performative messaging
More than half of all Americans say they are “extremely or very concerned” about the impact of climate change and are actively seeking out businesses that align with their core values. With companies now under greater scrutiny than ever, many businesses are feeling the pressure to “go green” in an effort to appear environmentally conscious to evolving consumer perceptions. Yet in too many cases, companies don’t practice what they preach and actually continue to contribute to climate change.
When companies jump on the sustainability bandwagon but aren’t able to back up their claims, it can have a detrimental impact on their brands and result in a critical lack of trust among consumers, employees and stakeholders. A recent Harvard Business Review study found that greenwashing can severely backfire, deal a major blow to a company’s reputation and be perceived as corporate hypocrisy.
Due to shifting consumer expectations, businesses know that staying silent is no longer an option. However, when it comes to communicating about sustainability, companies must avoid overcommitting and ensure that full transparency is at the core of all initiatives.
Measure, assess and share your environmental impact
As consumers shift their support to environmentally friendly businesses, investors are following suit by looking for more sustainable investments for their portfolios. With 80% of sustainable investment funds outperforming their counterparts in recent years, it’s becoming increasingly critical for businesses to efficiently measure, assess and share the impact of their actions.
By setting standards and benchmarks to track progress, businesses can measure their performance, define what needs to be improved and ensure they’re meeting their goals. Without setting standards, it’s nearly impossible to keep track of progress in any meaningful way. Metrics allow investors to put their full trust into a company’s sustainability efforts instead of being left to their own conclusions.
Ultimately, measuring the impact and making their progress public enables companies to show a genuine commitment to sustainability while building consumer trust, boosting employee retention and attracting more investors.
Transparency, honesty and empathy above all else
At a time when sustainability matters more than ever, companies across industries no longer have the option to stay silent. When businesses avoid the topic of sustainability altogether, audiences assume they are not taking the threat of climate change seriously.
Oftentimes it can be challenging for companies to take the first step in setting and communicating their sustainability goals and the progress they’re making. But we must start somewhere. By taking that first step with transparency, honesty and empathy at the forefront, companies can begin to make strides in not only achieving their sustainability goals, but also building continued trust with their key audiences.
PR is a powerful tool that can shift perceptions and influence behavior, especially when it comes to sustainability. In order to successfully communicate about sustainability and build the trust of consumers in 2024, businesses should avoid performative acts, measure and share their environmental impact and, above all else, prioritize transparency, honesty and empathy in their messaging.
Emma Wolfe is VP and climate tech practice area lead at Kite Hill PR.