Why sustainability communication matters

Communications plays a vital part in any sustainability strategy. If you don’t communicate internally, you won’t be able to implement the change necessary to make your organization more sustainable. And your employees are, of course, part of the very green-conscious public. They’re eager to participate in and advocate for your sustainability efforts.

And if you don’t communicate your strategies and activities externally, to customers, partners, and the public, your business could lose sales to the increasing number of environmentally-conscious consumers. Or you could miss out on a major contract to supply a global firm because it doesn’t understand your sustainability policies.

It’s not always clear why communication is an afterthought for some brands, but we liken it to planning a huge party and forgetting to send the invitations. You’re doing the hard work - why not celebrate it? We’ve found that many brands are fearful of being accused of greenwashing, while others have a culture of greenmuting so they simply don’t think it’s appropriate to crow about their good work. There’s also concern that communication gives competitors too much information or that by making sustainability goals public essentially hands over brand control to consumers and influencers who are active on social media channels. Mostly, though, we hear from our clients that they feel inadequate about their sustainability progress and fear being publically scrutinized for not doing enough fast enough.

Cohn & Wolfe
As a global agency that works with some of the biggest brands in the world, Cohn & Wolfe helps its clients strengthen their voice in these vital issues through experience gained across the sustainability spectrum – from raising awareness of climate change through global events and helping create social and environmental initiatives, to promoting green technologies and consumer products, launching green brands and defending the actions of global energy companies.

Our heritage of brand-building, our deep and current working knowledge of traditional and social media, and our focus on consumer behaviors and thinking guides us as we help brands reap the rewards of their good work through effective and thoughtful communication strategies. Cohn & Wolfe helps its clients identify and take advantage of the sweet spot we call the “sustainable advantage,” which combines innovative thinking, education of critical topics and the amplification of differentiated messaging.