On February 27, 2008, SustainAbility and GlobeScan came together in Washington, D.C., to announce the findings of their joint research study entitled "A Wide Angle Look at
Sustainability: Past, Present and Future." The report, based on survey responses from more than 2,100 global sustainability leaders, offers insight into the past 20 years of
sustainability leadership, the present climate across industries and the effort needed to push sustainable business practices forward.
The findings have huge implications for communications professionals, as these executives are often the drivers of sustainability practices within their organizations--or, at least
they are the channels through which these practices are communicated to key stakeholders. The big picture that came out of the report was simple--there is "a leadership vacuum, such
that critical issues related to sustainability are being ignored or inadequately addressed by both government and business leaders."
More grim, however, were the responses related specifically to the communications function. When asked whether or not the recent increase in corporate communications about
sustainability and the environment were "strategic and temporary" versus indicative of "authentic change," respondents were indecisive: only 3% believe that authentic change is the
driver, with 10% saying these communications are strategic and temporary, and the remainder falling somewhere in between (see chart on page 7).
"This group is skeptical of the communications side," says Eric Whan, director, SD and Environment, GlobeScan. "That signals that we need to get better in terms of communications.
This is a really talented area to work with, but there is room for improvement."
Talented, yes, but still too inactive? In terms of the groups providing the most important sustainable development leadership over the next 10 years, companies led the pack, with
33% of respondents looking to this sector for driving improvement. This means that communicators on both the corporate and agency side must hone their strategies for trumpeting
sustainability efforts at a volume that can be heard worldwide. But how?
*Don't try to be all things to all people. Attempting to champion every facet of sustainability within your organization will lead to unfocused efforts that have no impact.
Rather, "Make sure your issues are aligned with your core functions, and find a way to authenticate them," Whan says.
Case in point: The SustainAbility/GlobeScan report polled respondents on their opinion of which companies had the poorest performance in terms of sustainability. The unprompted,
combined mentions put ExxonMobil on top (35%), followed by Shell (11%). Execs at these companies would be wise to focus on environmentally sound initiatives--something that hits oil
and gas companies very close to home--rather than, say, fair trade or labor practices.
*Go big or go home. "There is a real opportunity for innovative and entrepreneurial solutions," Whan says, citing HSBC's consumer confidence index on climate issues--a unique
approach to bringing attention to a global concern.
When discussing various barriers to sustainability during the past 20 years at last week's symposium, one audience member expressed surprise that a lack of creativity wasn't among
those listed (lack of political will, the culture of consumption and a lack of understanding/awareness were the top three barriers as ranked by survey respondents).
If a lack of creativity really is a limiting factor in sustainability efforts, then communicators have an opportunity to lead the way with thoughtful, outside-the-box initiatives
that prompt dialogue among stakeholders. Digital channels are a great place to start, as they are cost-effective, and they lend themselves to unique campaigns. Plus, with most
corporate functions still in the dark about digital strategies, PR/communications execs are in a perfect position to take the helm.
*Take your sustainability reports global. Sustainability reporting is increasingly becoming a necessary practice (and one that's largely spearheaded by the communications
function), so it makes sense to create reports that appeal to as wide an audience as possible. (For tips and best practices on giving sustainability reports a global appeal, see
sidebar.)
With these tips and the research report's findings in mind, communications professionals are wise to take Whan's advice on the sustainability front:
"Standing on the sidelines isn't safe anymore," he says. "It's a crowded space around sustainability, but there's always room for more." PRN
CONTACTS:
Eric Whan, [email protected]; Chad Tragakis, [email protected]
Going Global
While many audiences for CSR reports are based in the U.S. and Europe, important stakeholders are located all over the world. Many multinationals now call their publications
'global citizenship reports.' As such, they must reflect a company's worldwide footprint, stakeholder engagement and community outreach efforts. Aside from content, the entire report
must be clear and culturally sensitive to readers around the world. Following are tips for developing a report that is truly global.
-
It can be challenging to collect input and check facts with content experts who are based on the other side of the world. Keep a time zone map handy and respect the
schedules of those you need to contact. As with any project, be considerate of cultural sensitivities and different work styles.
-
Some CSR source documents you receive may be written in other languages--ask content experts to provide translations if possible, at least for critical "must include" data.
-
Recruit reviews from various offices and geographies to ensure your report is articulate and appropriate from a global perspective.
-
Consider standardizing units of measurement throughout your report (U.S. dollars and metric tons are widely used).
-
Don't forget design and graphics--ensure the images in your report reflect the true diversity of your company and that they convey a global feel.
-
Some firms translate their CSR reports into major languages, namely Spanish, French and Chinese. Others translate into languages of the countries in which they have
significant operations or stakeholder groups.
Editor's Note: This article was written by Chad Tragakis, an SVP at Hill &
Knowlton, and was excerpted from the PR News Guide to Best Practices in Corporate
Social Responsibility. To see other guidebooks offered by PR News, visit http://www.prnewsonline.com.