We have seen more and more companies develop some form of statement on their environmental and social values, signalling a widespread acknowledgement by the business community of the need to consider sustainability throughout business processes. And as sustainability, now recognised as an important differentiator among mainstream brands, is increasingly being incorporated into marketing plans, there comes increasing competition for one brand’s messages to be heard above all others.

So as the marketplace becomes saturated with socio-environmental messages, how can brands avoid being seen as simply paying lip service to sustainability, or worse still, being accused of greenwash?

Ultimately, this is a question of credibility. And credibility is imperative when consumers are actively seeking the truth about the social and environmental performance of the brands they interact with. Without oversimplifying what is an intrinsically complex area, there are, nevertheless, some important principles for brands engaging with the sustainability agenda. 

First, it’s about what you do and how you do it; how you approach sustainability is imperative.

Taking a holistic approach, not in a hippy way, but in terms of balance, means you can see the bigger picture; balancing the performance of a product or service with its environmental and social impact and the performance of the those that help to produce and deliver it. This is important, because if one of these elements is missing, the business model cannot be sustainable. 

Adopting a systemic approach is also essential, because it allows you to understand the interconnectedness and interdependency of environmental, social and economic issues right across your value chain. Where this differs from the conventional, tactical approach to delivering strategy is important, because without considering the interrelationships between sustainability challenges, you could inadvertently expose yourself to accusations of greenwash.

And then it’s about how you communicate your commitment to sustainability.

Perhaps above all, it’s about setting quantifiable, measurable targets and communicating progress to a wide range of stakeholder groups in ways that are more innovative and engaging than through your CSR report. Being honest about your starting point allows you to take stakeholders on a journey and celebrate this journey, not only the destination. And beyond this, it’s about creating a community of credibility, by proactively engaging the NGO’s and opinion leaders that can verify and support your commitments.

But remember (and this is coming from a sustainability communications consultancy), what you do is so much more important than what you say.