Sustainability narrative
In 2025 the sustainability narrative is 10 years into a 15-year timeline.
It isn’t enough to talk about what you are going to to. You need to be talking about what you have done or are doing. People are way more educated on the subject now and are looking for narratives which include people & planet. They want to know what effect you are having on social & economic sustainability as well as the environment.
68% of consumers believe that businesses are not doing enough to address climate change, and they are wary of greenwashing—when companies exaggerate or falsely present their sustainability efforts.
2023 Edelman Trust Barometer
62% of consumers want companies to take a stand on current environmental and social issues.
Accenture
Only 33% trust companies when they say they are working to become more sustainable.
Accenture
88% of consumers want companies to show demonstrable actions rather than just broad sustainability claims.
One Communications’ CSR Study
Companies doing it right
Dove’s Real Beauty campaign, focuses on social sustainability, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to social values.
IKEA’s Buy Back & Resell initiative encourages customers to return old furniture, which the company refurbishes and resells contributing to the circular economy.
Chelsea Flower Show relocates whole gardens to new permanent locations in some cases. It will return plants to suppliers and encourage using local plants, materials and suppliers.
Companies getting it wrong
H&M’s “Conscious Collection” backfired as critics highlighted it only made up a small fraction of H&M’s overall production.
Starbucks reusable cups initiative was called out for greenwishing* as they continued distributing billions of hard-to-recycle cups.
*Greenwishing is a new (2023) term for companies talking about what they ‘plan to do’ but simply don’t have the wherewithal to do it in reality.
Tips for your sustainability narrative in 2025
Avoid talking about “processes” and terms like “best practice”, “we’re planning…”, “dedicated”, or “committed” as it feels corporate, overused and ingenuine in 2025.
Use stories around what you have done or are doing right now and put these first as proof points.
Avoid content that has no proof points or doesn’t directly support your goals as they are detracting from important information.
Use KPIs that show improvement or success in sustainability.
Align narrative to brand purpose so people remember you.
Keep it concise, genuine and human in tone.
