We don’t need to look to the future to imagine a time where effective sustainability communication is crucial for business success. Because believe us, that time is today!
Already, key stakeholders expect strong sustainability performance from companies. And when companies do perform well, effectively communicating that performance is what really brings stakeholders on board.
(Potential customers can’t adore the fact that you cut your emissions by 70% if they don’t know about it, can they!?)
Getting sustainability communication right today involves mastering certain essential things. Such as how to avoid greenwashing, how to incorporate sustainability storytelling techniques, communicating through different channels, and how to measure and optimize communication efforts.
Get these kinds of things right, and you can sit back and watch all sorts of benefits flow your way.
But don’t sit back for too long! To keep the benefits flowing, it’s important to move with the times.
So with that in mind, now it is time to look to the future. Specifically, let’s look at future trends in sustainability communications you should watch out for if you want to continue being successful.
1. The rise of radical transparency
If you read any of our articles about sustainability communications, you will likely find us advising companies to always be transparent. To be honest with stakeholders about the bad as well as the good. And this is a concept that more and more companies are likely to embrace in the coming years with the rise of ‘radical transparency’.
Radical transparency basically refers to a business practice where companies openly share detailed, unfiltered information about their environmental and social impact. Including areas such as supply chain practices, carbon footprint data, ingredient sourcing, labor conditions, and general sustainability efforts.
This, of course, goes beyond basic compliance with reporting standards such as the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive). But many companies are beginning to realise that to really build trust with increasingly skeptical stakeholders, mere compliance is not enough. Stakeholders want full disclosure in the form of verifiable, real-time data on environmental and social impact.
To provide this kind of data, we can expect to see blockchain technology being used more commonly as a way to ensure supply chain transparency. This will allow stakeholders to track the origins of materials and verify ethical sourcing and standards across the supply chain.
A move towards radical transparency may also see sustainability reporting shift from annual disclosures to continuous, live updates on dedicated platforms. (A scary idea for many companies we’d imagine!)
If you feel your company isn’t yet ready for something that extreme, we would suggest using this idea as motivation to get ready!
2. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
When thinking about future trends in almost any area of life today, AI is probably one of the first things that comes to mind. And of course, this is no different in the world of sustainability communications.
Looking back to radical transparency, AI-powered analytics and automated reporting tools can also facilitate this, by helping companies share data-driven insights on sustainability performance.
While the ability of AI-powered tools to analyze consumer preferences and behaviors opens up the possibility for more targeted, hyper-personalized sustainability messages. Whether that’s recommending eco-friendly products based on purchase history for example, or tailoring sustainability messaging to specific demographic groups. These kinds of data-driven personalized messages have been possible for some time now of course, but AI will make them much more feasible and widespread.
And don’t forget about those little chatbots and ai-driven assistants you’ve seen popping up on websites lately. We can increasingly expect these to be used to answer customer inquiries on sustainability claims in real-time. Hopefully helping to enhance engagement and trust.
(Trust is an important factor to keep in mind here, because as AI inevitably proliferates, stakeholders will have ethical concerns. Questions around how AI-generated content is created, and how to avoid misinformation and unintentional biases are pertinent ones. It is crucial to keep questions like these in mind if you choose to integrate AI into your sustainability communications strategy).
3. Interactive/immersive sustainability experiences
Sustainability messaging is going beyond mere words and videos! As we move forward, immersive experiences should become more commonplace.
Technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) can be used to create interactive storytelling experiences. Just imagine the kinds of possibilities below:
- Virtual tours of sustainable supply chains.
- Immersive VR experiences where users can explore the environmental impact of different sourcing choices.
- 360-degree factory walk-throughs showing ethical labor practices in action.
- AR-powered product packaging that lets consumers scan a QR code to see the full lifecycle of a product.
- Interactive sustainability reports that allow stakeholders to engage with real-time data visualizations and impact metrics.
Seriously, for companies with impressive sustainability performance, can you imagine a more effective way to convince and wow stakeholders? Experiences like these would allow audiences to engage on a much deeper level.
VR/AR products like the Apple Vision Pro haven’t really taken off yet. But assuming they do, it will make sustainability communications very interesting indeed. (We think it’s super interesting already by the way!)
4. Sustainability influencers
Technology isn’t the only factor influencing the future of sustainability communications. (Notice our choice of words there?)
We couldn’t resist the pun. But for many companies that want to continue reaching their audiences moving forward, the rise of sustainability influencers is no joke.
(In our minds, a sustainability influencer is basically a content creator who uses social media to educate and inspire audiences on environmental and social issues. Likely promoting sustainable products, practices, and lifestyle choices regularly).
Particularly for younger generations, these influencers can be very effective at shaping their follower’s purchase intentions, attitudes, and sustainable behaviors. With many consumers seemingly turning to these trusted individuals for credible information on environmental and social issues.
As this trend continues, it makes sense that companies and brands will look to collaborate more with sustainability influencers. In order to amplify their sustainability efforts in an authentic and relatable way.
5. A proactive approach to regulations
This one goes beyond just sustainability communication and really extends to sustainability overall.
As you are probably aware, the regulatory landscape for sustainability is constantly evolving.
Regarding communications, the CSRD is already making a big splash. But beyond reporting, upcoming regulations like the ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation) and the CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive) will significantly impact how many businesses operate in the near future.
We know from experience that the CSRD has shocked a lot of companies that didn’t prepare properly in advance. And as a result, we are already noticing a trend towards companies adopting a more proactive attitude to regulations.
Beyond compliance, companies want to gain a competitive advantage by taking a leading role in the face of upcoming regulations. In sustainability communications and sustainability in general, they want to stay ahead of the curve, and be fully prepared for all the changes to come.
If you feel you should be doing the same, Dazzle can certainly help you out with a little future-proofing.
Stay ahead of the sustainability communications curve with Dazzle
Whether you need help with your sustainability communications, or sustainability in general moving forward, Dazzle has got your back. (And we can show you which direction your front should be pointing in too!)
Dazzle is a platform that offers the world’s best sustainability freelancers on demand. With many sustainability communications consultants, and experts in all areas of sustainability available.
With Dazzle, our freelancers come with a guaranteed track record, as each expert on the platform has been extensively pre-screened. While for flexibility, you can choose to work with our experts on a project-based, on-demand, or interim basis.
If you contact us today, we can send you several expert profiles within hours, so you can find your perfect match.
With your expert on board, no matter what your sustainability challenge is, you’ll be ready for whatever the future brings.
