Bring sustainable disclosure to life by blending science with storytelling

Australia is in the middle of one of the most significant legislated reporting changes in its corporate history. Mandatory Climate-Related Financial Disclosures are now in place, which means around 6,000 organisations will be required to disclose climate-related financial risks and opportunities over the coming years.

Of course, environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) reporting has been part of the annual business rhythm for many years. And rather than seeing it as a compliance burden, many organisations know it sends a strong signal to employees, customers and investors. 

Beyond reporting, ESG is also increasingly a business-as-usual component of all sorts of sales and marketing messages. No longer relegated to the back of a commercial leasing brochure or a token level 3 web page, sustainable initiatives and features are often woven throughout the story. 

From tenders and RFPs to corporate web copy and property campaign brochures, we are often asked to craft a story that is both compelling and ACCC-compliant. 

Compliance is essential, because the ACCC and other regulatory bodies are paying attention. In March 2023 the ACCC ran an internet sweep of environmental claims across 247 businesses. More than half raised concerns for misleading environmental claims.

Here’s the thing. It really shouldn’t be that hard to avoid greenwashing, green-hushing, greenlighting, or any of the other ESG-misdemeanours. After all, the ACCC’s eight principles for trustworthy environmental claims are also the principles for effective and genuine communication. 

We see good ESG messaging as a combination of science and storytelling. Here’s five ways to tell your own sustainability story, and tell it well. Without a whiff of marketing puffery.

1. Start with the facts. Not the spin.

The ACCC describes this principle as having ‘evidence to back up your claims’, and ‘avoiding broad and unqualified claims.’ 

Whether you’re reporting on your progress towards Net Zero or promoting the sustainable features of your product, make sure your language is specific and your statements are measurable. Sweeping statements will be seen as insincere, or me-too fakery. 

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2. Write clearly

Clarity is the number one rule of writing anything at work. Use simpler words. Be direct and succinct. And in the case of ESG, use terms your audience will understand. 

Chief Sustainability Officers know what scope 3 emissions mean. But if you’re presenting information to your staff, suppliers, or the general public, you’re going to need to explain sustainability jargon.

One way to do this is unpack what it means for them personally, or for their business or community. Scope 3 emissions are indirectly incurred – they happen up or down a company’s supply chain. So for a supplier or contractor, that might mean they need to understand and report on the emissions their activities create for their clients. 

It is especially important to use clear, simple language when you’re building the case for change, drafting a manifesto, or educating your staff or customers on action they can take. 

That’s what we helped Investa do with its sustainability launch. We distilled several lengthy technical reports into an education hub with a memorable theme and a plan on a page, helping unite Investa’s people towards tangible goals.  

See how we used clear language in Investa’s sustainability strategy.

3. Be consistent

Consistency is the key to trusted messaging. Reliable data, expressed in a constant tone of voice, will reflect your organisation’s personality and values – and give the reader confidence in your message.

To do this, you first need to find the common thread through everything you do. What’s the why behind your sustainability targets? How does it align with your initiatives, processes, metrics and reporting?

Then you can update your communications regularly, showing progress or highlighting changes and new initiatives. And of course, make sure your commitments and metrics align across all communication channels, including corporate reports, websites, social media and advertising.

Learn how we created a consistent tone of voice for social enterprise finance body Sefa.

4. Make your impact real and relatable 

Compliance requires accurate data. But if you want your message to resonate, be memorable, and inspire lasting behavioural change, you also need to tell a good story. 

Storytelling helps us connect the known with the unknown. It helps your readers make meaning, improve their understanding, and gain a new perspective. We feel, rather than simply think, when we read a story. 

And if it’s a story told well, it’s also more likely to hold our attention than a bunch of graphs.  

Credible data is definitely part of your story. But the other part is human. The highs and lows of any good story arc reveal the mis-steps along the way, the pitfalls and learnings, as well as the real life impact of the journey so far. A good story has rich details and relatable metaphors. It’s about people as well as numbers. 

This is especially true when writing about the ‘S’ in ESG: social impact. For example, our successful fundraising appeals for not-for-profits all start with life-changing stories about the people touched by that cause.

See how storytelling makes a difference for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

5. Be transparent

Transparency is more than clarity and honesty combined. It means opening the door to reveal what’s really going on behind the scenes in your organisation – warts and all. 

Nudie Jeans does this brilliantly in its supply chain transparency, sharing data on Co2 emissions and water usage at a product level.

The ACCC describes this principle as “not hiding or omitting important information”, otherwise known as green-hushing, and being “direct and open about your sustainability transition.” Make sure your message presents a balanced view of your ESG performance. Articulating areas for improvement is just as valuable as your achievements. Sometimes, even more so.

Compliant and credible

Sharing your ESG commitments and impact can be an opportunity to build trust and inspire others. But too often, compliance fears can hold you back from bringing your efforts to life. 

Think of your sustainability report as a year in the life of your business – the experiences you’ve created with staff and customers, and the data that shows progress. Even if it’s one step forward, two steps back. 

If you need help crafting your environmental or social impact stories, just ask us. 

* Glossary

• Green-hushing: to under-report or hide sustainability credentials to evade scrutiny from investors and other stakeholders.
• Greenlighting: to spotlight a positive environmental feature (however small) to draw attention from some seriously bad practices.
• Bluewashing: to gloss over some dubious ethical sourcing.
• Black-cladding: to profile your business as wholly-Indigenous owned when it really isn’t.