Shelton Stat of the Week

72% of people we surveyed from around the globe say they are very/extremely interested in hearing from companies about their efforts to reduce GHG emissions. – Global Eco Pulse® 2023

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To have a career in sustainability requires resilience, long-term thinking and a glass half-full mentality. Lately though, it’s been easy to fall into the morass with headlines like “Humans are Wiping Out Water Bodies that Life Depends On,” and “Climate Change Could Become a Global Economic Disaster.” So if you, like me, need a little optimism about the future of well, everything — I got you. 

The year started with a shift in European guidelines as CSRD changed, abruptly altering or delaying many corporate reporting strategies. The new U.S. administration’s confounding and often contradictory messaging on policy changes related to tax incentives, rollbacks of environmental protections and dismantling clean energy initiatives have added to the disarray.  

In talking to clients, we consistently hear the same message over and over: The hard work of corporate sustainability continues. The goals have been set. The investment has been made. The need is more dire, literally every day. So while many companies are opting to fall into the dangerous trap of greenhushing, which is hard and expensive to come back from, it is at least fortifying to know that companies are ploughing ahead. But while “still doing the work” is great, it’s a little like throwing a giant party and forgetting to invite the guests.  

Last week, though, something unlocked. I experienced a much-needed spark of optimism coming from a variety of sustainability leaders who recognize that corporate sustainability is on the cusp of its next phase, and talking about it is more important than ever.  

  • Author and advisor Andrew Winston published a compelling piece in MIT Sloan entitled “Advancing Sustainability in a Climate of Silence” in which he lays out the continued need for a business case, as well as the opportunity for changing the sustainability narrative. As the endless emphasis on the cost of sustainability is a cost in and of itself, what if we instead opted to focus on — and shout about — the opportunity of sustainability? 
  • Along a similar vein, industry pundit Joel Makower penned an article headlined “No, corporate sustainability is not dying.” He argues that while some external signals can portend gloom, we’re in a time of transition, a “… recalibration — an evolution of terminology, tone and tactics in response to a complex and pugnacious political and economic environment.”  
  • In partnership with GlobeScan and Volens, ERM launched a survey of 844 global sustainability experts in a report called Sustainability at a Crossroads. Couched in some sobering statistics, the overall message of the report is that we’re at a key inflection point, one that requires “radical overhaul.” The good news is that there’s energy for it — people are hungering for change. The study lays out the short-term levers identified as both most feasible and highest impact, including investor engagement and the cultural influence of sustainability messaging. 

History shows that the most radical change often comes from the hardest of moments. History also shows change requires two key ingredients: hope and voice. Without both, we may indeed be doomed. So instead of staying under the radar, we’re calling on companies to get back to the basics of leveraging communication as a critical tool to continue advancing corporate sustainability. What does that look like? Here’s three steps to getting back to what you do best.  

Step one: Rely on the data. Your audiences want to hear about your sustainability work. 79% of global investors say the way a company manages sustainability risks and opportunities is an important factor in investment (PwC, 2024). 67% of employees would be more willing to apply for or accept a job with an environmentally sustainable company (Great Place to Work, 2024). And 85% of global consumers are interested in hearing from companies about their climate initiatives (ERM Shelton EcoPulse® 2024).  

Step two: Leverage your strategy. Even if regulators aren’t requiring the same level of reporting, you’ve still got the data, the stories and the demonstrable impact to engage audiences on the most critical financial and social opportunity of our lifetimes.  

Step three: Seize the moment. When the world is quiet, even a whisper is loud. Right now is a leadership opportunity for companies to stake their territory with details of their progress, innovation, cost saving and, yes, contribution to the world we all want to see.    

We still have a long way to go, and it’s easy to be discouraged right now. But no one in sustainability signed up thinking it was easy, so keep the volume up and the stories flowing.