Far from being tick-box exercises, adopting sustainability frameworks, understanding the most relevant sustainability factors and goals and regularly reporting against them, can help your business win long-term trust.

As Zu Heng Ho, Head of Business Development at Black Sun Asia Pacific, explained: “It’s easy to accidently fall into the trap of greenwashing if we think of a sustainability strategy as a communications exercise. Adopting the right frameworks early on helps businesses accurately understand what matters to them most and where they need to start or continue on their journey.”

And when it comes to reporting progress, clarity in your communications is vital, as Gemma Brown, Client Services Manager at Stratton Craig, explained: “Your sustainability strategy needs to be clearly articulated to everyone that engages with your businesses. Clarity demonstrates your confidence in your strategy and helps maintain trust.”

Further to this point, Tim Marklew, Sustainability Writer and Consultant at Stratton Craig, added that when it comes to delivering clarity in your strategy communications, making sure the right foundations and measurements are in place from the beginning makes all the difference. “Good sustainability communications flow from a rigorous strategy. Make sure you have the right foundations in place before rushing to report on your goals and actions,” he said.

Brook Calverley, Founding Partner at People Made, discussed why businesses must embed sustainability into their cultures too. “Businesses should make sure that they are living and breathing sustainability inside their organisation. Embedding your strategy throughout your business brings your sustainability strategy to life,” he detailed. “Doing so gives everyone inside your business confidence and trust that the company is taking the right steps,” he added.

If you missed our ‘Defining, Communicating and Embedding Sustainability’ webinar, you can watch the full version here.