Strategies for Telling Your Sustainability Story
Published April 2024
As research shows companies are taking a step back in environmental sustainability communications amid changing regulations and consumer perceptions, the Denver community of professionals within B:CIVIC have a desire to continue learning from one another’s efforts and showcasing the efforts their organizations are making.
We met with experts and B:CIVIC investors to develop the recommendations for communicating your organization’s sustainability work effectively and intentionally.
The 5 R’s: Why Communicating about Environmental Sustainability Matters
As companies align their business strategy with environmental initiatives, they must consider the importance of communicating their sustainability efforts on key areas such as recruiting, retention, relationships, reputation, and reaching new audiences. Let’s delve into each of these “5 R’s” to understand why they are crucial for communication and business success.
In recent years, job seekers have become increasingly interested in working for employers who invest in sustainability efforts. By featuring your organization’s commitment and efforts to environmental sustainability on career websites and during the recruiting process, companies can attract top talent.
Learn from the data, Porter Novelli’s Purpose Priorities Report 2023: Communicate Confidently in the Pushback Era:
- 76% of survey respondents agree companies should have programs that address environmental sustainability. (Pg 16)
- 82% of survey respondents believe companies should demonstrate they are following through on promises to people, planet and society. (Pg 15)
In today’s competitive market, employee retention is a significant concern for businesses. Studies show when employees feel proud of sustainability efforts at their organization are more loyal and actively engaged, increasing employee satisfaction. Green teams are on the rise and can create a culture of sustainability with employees leading efforts.
Learn from the data, Great Place To Work® research has found that when employees feel proud to work at a company, they are:
- 6 times more likely to endorse their workplace to others.
- 2 times more likely to want to stay with the company for a long time.
- 1 times more likely to say it’s a great place to work.
As critical business partners, clients, suppliers, community partners and stakeholder groups find value in sustainability efforts. Inviting stakeholders to learn more about your efforts or join initiatives enhances relationships and may encourage them to develop their own targets, creating a larger impact.
Learn from the data PwC’s Global Investor Survey 2023 Trust, Tech and Transformation: Navigating Investor Priorities:
- 75% of respondents said that how companies manage sustainability-related risks and opportunities is an important factor in their investment decision-making.
- 74% of respondents said its important for companies to report the road map to meet the sustainability commitments the company has set.
Many organizations get rated or ranked based on publicly reported data. Publicly reporting sustainability data enhances your organization’s credibility and ensures your narrative is consistent with your business model. If you do not report, it can look like you’re not doing anything.
Consumers are attentive and prepared to support brands seen doing good, but make sure you can backup your climate claims.
Learn from the data, South Pole’s Net Zero Report 2023/2024:
- Nearly all surveyed companies (93%) see the communication of their net zero strategies as being key to commercial success. (Pg 5)
- Only US-based companies found communications around corporate climate action less daunting, with 56% stating that external communications around climate efforts were less difficult than before, which is why it was perhaps unsurprising that within the surveyed sample of climate-conscious companies, 60% of American companies were increasing – rather than decreasing – their level of external communications on climate action. (Pg 34)
Audiences of all backgrounds are interested in learning about sustainability initiatives, and authentically communicating your efforts can help you connect with new customers and partnerships. By leveraging sustainability as a strategic asset, companies can position themselves for success in an increasingly competitive and socially conscious marketplace.
Learn from the data, 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer’s Special Report: The Collapse of the Purchase Funnel:
- 71% of respondents say that it is more important to trust the brands they buy/use today than in the past. (Pg 9)
- 55% of respondents more likely to consider a product’s environmental impact today than in the past. (Pg 7)
- 62% of Gen Z respondents say if a brand doesn’t communicate its actions to address societal issues, they assume it is doing nothing or hiding something. (Pg 12)
Starting an Impact Report
- Understand key terms in the reporting space.
- Start with creating a list of what is most important to your organization and your key stakeholders. Use the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) to find your industry, as a place to start. SASB has done the research and provide a narrowed-down list of topics for consideration for reporting specific to your industry.
- Begin to gather baseline data to learn where you are starting from; which may also inform where you want to go. What metrics can you collect based upon the list created in step one?
- Understand your data sources to feel comfortable that you can create a repeatable process that will lead to accurate, consistent and reliable data year over year. What data do you have available? Is it a reliable source? Could you access the same information the next year?
- Draft a mockup report to see what it looks like as a practice run (well in advance of publishing an actual report). What went well? What could be added? Does it tell a story?
- Document it all. Create formal process documentation about what metrics were selected for reporting, why they were selected and any historical data and assumptions used to retrieve the data. Think about whoever will report in future years and aim to make it easy for them to recreate the process without anything besides this documentation.
- Measure your impact. After all, that’s what it’s about, right? When you feel comfortable with what data you are reporting, focus on what matters: reducing our negative impact on our environment and sharing the progress. What gets measured, gets managed, as they say. And what gets managed, in this case, is a precious resource: our planet.
ESG reporting is the process disclosing risks and opportunities related to environmental, social and governance data for an organization. Typically, this voluntary process was completed annually and included quantitative and qualitative metrics and goals important to the organization.
In March 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted new climate disclosure rules that require U.S. companies to publish information describing the climate-related risks that are reasonably likely to have a material impact on a company’s business or consolidated financial statements. Learn more about how this regulation may impact your company and how it’s changing the landscape of environmental sustainability.
Check out the most common reporting framework and standard resources for further insight:
- CDP
- Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
- ISSB’s IFRS Sustainability Standards Navigator (Combined the efforts of the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) and Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD))
- Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)
- United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Actions Platform
Not sure where to start? Watch the recording of our ESG 2.0: Putting it into Practice event recap.
Unsure which framework to use, consider:
- An industry specific framework
- Evaluate which framework your competitors use
- Understanding industry regulations and future reporting regulations
- Complete a Materiality Assessment materiality assessment to identify what is most important to your stakeholders and audience
- Find a partner or consultant to work with to support your needs
Other Considerations for Sustainability Storytelling
Your audience will influence how you communicate your environmental sustainability efforts.
Do you need to convey detailed information to investors, business partners, and clients? Annual impact reports are a great tool to share large quantities of qualitative and quantitative data in addition to your organization’s goals. Janus Henderson Investors annual ESG report creatively and concisely demonstrates their ESG strategy focused on employees, shareholders, community and clients engagement.
Looking to connect with the public? Bite-sized stories shared on social media – especially stories that center the human impact of your work and personal benefit- influence a larger audience. Vail Resorts highlights hyper-local examples of sustainability in action; from the story of pilot to upcycle uniforms to the amount of wrappers diverted from landfills to be upcycled at a single resort.
It is important to be transparent with with your stakeholders about your strategy and update on goals the organization set from timeline to current progress. With this communication, make sure you’re providing publicly available disclosures to back up your claims and comply with any laws. California implemented the first anti-greenwashing law, the Voluntary Carbon Market Disclosures Act taking effect in 2024.
As it relates to identifying goals, what is most connected to the bottom line for your organization? Organizations set and share a variety of environmental or climate goals. Net zero may not be the right fit for you at this stage in your sustainability journey, but where can you make meaningful progress?
Arrow Electronics began their 2023 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report process by completing a priorities assessment to identify key topics relevant to the business and stakeholders (pictured below). Readers clearly understand where Arrow is focusing its energy and creating impact with clear disclosures. Arrow also provides a chart showing its internal ESG governance structure and detailed results for key environmental, social and governance goals.
Photo taken from page 12 of Arrow Electronics’ Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) 2023 Report.
An organization’s environmental sustainability strategy is most effective when integrated across the business model, and it’s the same for sustainability communications in relation to your overall brand. Explore how some of our investors integrate strategy with their communications.
Denver Zoo has eight priority sustainability objectives that each tie back to conservation, which is at the core of their mission and brand. Take water for example: “Water is the vein of life for animals, plants, the environment, societies and the economy. Clean water that is available to everyone is proving to be a pressing issue at a global scale. We are dedicated to keeping harmful contaminants out of the stormwater system and reducing potable water use to support a clean water future for all.”
From a small business and sales perspective, YellowDog shared the blog “20 ways to print greener with YellowDog.” The list highlights YellowDog’s practices such as their use of post-consumer waste paper and eco-solvent and recyclable toners, in addition to general sustainability suggestions like consider multipurpose uses for everyday materials.
Denver Zoo and YellowDog both partner with Ridwell to recycle hard-to-recycle waste. Denver Zoo highlighted this partnership on Earth Day 2024 with a video tour led by Blair Neelands, director of sustainability, showcasing how you can leverage partnerships to help you achieve the work and elevate your communications.
YellowDog is a Certifiably Green Denver business and has achieved Silver Achievement Status from the Colorado Green Business Network. Learn more about the benefits of these programs in the next section, Identify Storytelling Partners.
Partners are a valuable resource for spreading your sustainability successes throughout the community. Did you create an initiative with another organization? Share the story across both platforms!
There are other partners who are interested in learning – and sharing – what you do. Within the Metro Denver area, look to Certifiably Green Denver, the Colorado Green Business Network and B Lab Colorado. Not only can these organizations help tell your story, but they can also certify your work with a trusted and identifiable label that increases your brand recognition and reputation. Certifiably Green Denver and the Colorado Green Business Network provide free assessments that can inform your targets going forward.
Check out B:CIVIC’s blog to learn how we partnered with Certifiably Green Denver on the 2023 B:CIVIC Summit and how Premier Members Credit Union earned a certification through the Colorado Green Business Network. You can also read about the B Corp certification process from the perspective of GadellNet Consulting Services.
Don’t forget B:CIVIC wants to be your storytelling partner too! Send your sustainability successes to info@bcivic.org.
Environmental sustainability is a complex topic, with the field and legal landscape constantly evolving. When sharing your work with a broad audience, it’s effective to boil it down to your core impact and simple, accessible language.
Delta Dental of Colorado shows their their sustainability roadmap with milestones and important areas within their journey including the new building, operations and education.
Food Bank of the Rockies displays a carousel of sustainability statistics and an FAQ section on their website that allows visitors to clearly interpret the organization’s impact. Photos of volunteers supporting sustainability initiatives also help communication the organization’s strategy.