You want to use your sustainability skills to communicate better. How can you do it?

This prompt has it backward. You can’t use sustainability skills to communicate - use your communication skills to communicate sustainability. To do so requires a deep understanding of different sustainability subjects, from climate to the circular economy and DEI.

As a B2B content writer, the problem is not using my "sustainability skills" to communicate but using communications skills to talk about sustainability in a way that skeptical listeners can be persuaded that sustainability is the right approach for their business goals. For these people the other virtues of operating sustainability are secondary to the economic case.

Leveraging sustainability skills for improved communication involves integrating eco-conscious principles into messaging, demonstrating commitment to sustainability goals. This approach requires clear, concise language that highlights the tangible benefits of sustainable practices, both for the environment and for stakeholders. Engaging storytelling that showcases real-world examples of sustainability in action can resonate more deeply with audiences. Utilizing digital platforms and social media can further amplify the message, reaching a wider audience while minimizing environmental impact.

Leverage your sustainability expertise by tailoring communication to your audience's values and interests, highlighting the relevance of sustainability to their goals. Utilize storytelling to make complex concepts accessible and engaging. Incorporate data and real-world examples to demonstrate impact and progress. Foster interactive dialogues through workshops or forums to encourage participation and feedback. Develop clear, concise messaging that underscores the urgency and benefits of sustainable practices. Stay informed about the latest sustainability trends to ensure your communication is current and compelling.

Defining your purpose is one of two crucial steps (as well as understanding your audience) to determine how successful you will be in giving your message on sustainability. A corporate presentation is not something you want to bring to a discussion over a coffee. Are you trying to win someone round, or are you discussing next steps with somebody who is already on board?

Link your method and style of communication to the goal you are trying to achieve with it. This in turn must be driven by the audience. Trying to get buy in on an investment into sustainability from C-suite will be very dofferent from trying to motivate staff on a company wide initiative. The more targted you can be the more effective the comms will be.

Tu comunicación debe ser relevante y convincente, además de demostrar compromiso. Puedes adaptar un mensaje a diferentes audiencias, es crucial conocer bien a quienes se dirige. Algunos consejos clave incluyen personalizar el mensaje, utilizar técnicas narrativas, adaptar el contenido técnico, informar, educar o persuadir según sea necesario, y anticipar la recepción única de cada parte interesada. Estos detalles harán que tu mensaje sea más específico

This is the second crucial thing, as well as understanding your purpose, to know about communicating about sustainability. To take this to the extreme, a half hour long corporate presentation with weighted and budgeted pros and cons would go terribly on TikTok, however an emotive 30 seconds "call to arms" would do terribly in the board room. You have to tailor any message, and any means of spreading that message, to your audience

Además de una buena narrativa creo que es clave elegir bien a través de qué medio tu mensaje llega a más personas. Las redes sociales y otras plataformas digitales. Sugiero utilizar estas plataformas para compartir historias, informar sobre eventos y promover el compromiso con la sostenibilidad y el impacto.

Al elegir el medio adecuado, considera las preferencias de tu audiencia, tus habilidades y recursos disponibles, así como el tipo de contenido que deseas compartir. La combinación de varios medios puede ser la estrategia más efectiva para llegar a una audiencia diversa y promover la comunicación sostenible de manera efectiva. Redes sociales, blogs y sitios web, podcasts, videos en canales YouTube y participar en eventos o conferencias, todas las plataformas son adecuadas para válidas para transmitir el mensaje al público objetivo de cada una.

Storytelling is pivotal to how we get the corporate sustainability messaging out. And we must resist the urge to reach for the comfort blanket of the PowerPoint presentation all the time. Could this initial discussion be held over a coffee, where you ensure someone is receptive before pointing them to a blog post or documentary?

La comunicación sostenible tiene como objetivo principal acompa?ar, facilitar y promover formas sostenibles de desarrollo humano y social. Se enfoca en transmitir mensajes de manera ética y responsable, buscando educar y concienciar sobre la importancia de la sostenibilidad en diversos ámbitos, como el medio ambiente, la sociedad y la economía. Y tiene que ser veraz y transparente para no caer en el ecoblanqueo, maquillaje verde, greenwashing y enga?o al consumidor final.

Impact is ultimately what the communication must be about. Without a sense of how effective your message has been it's all to easy to keep repeating a flawed method and risk losing your audience. The nature of this measurement can come in different forms however. Creating metrics like total audience reached, total engagement etc will give a good data driven insight into the current strategy. This is essential to play back and analyse success, but it's not always the whole story. Sustainability can be highly emotive so the numbers can't tell you how deeply someone has been moved, or how motivated they have become as a result. Try and capture the qualitative and the quantitative to get the whole story.

With more informal forms of communication, this will inherently be more difficult, but if you are encouraging transparency (perhaps through a shared notes page/shared meeting minutes) then you will be able to see directly the impact of what you have presented and what you have developed.

Es probable que mi experiencia no sirva de nada a casi nadie, pero dentro de ese casi me encuentro yo mismo. Mi recomendación: Duda de todo lo que leas. Comprende bien el origen y aplicación de cada normativa o reglamento sobre el que quieras divulgar o destacar. Pregunta a quien sabe. Mastica mucho y bien la información y escríbela en lenguaje correcto, pero alejado de la semántica y los parámetros del lenguaje que rodea todo lo que huela a "ESG". Tu audiencia está cansada de leer extractos imposibles y lo que quiere es aprender. Duda siempre. Duda mucho. Comunica bien y sobre todo, no comuniques nada que no entiendas y te creas.

Remember to tell stories. The argument would have been won decades ago if facts and data were enough to convince people. People are not moved by data; they are moved by stories that resonate with them. Telling people you plant a tree for every X they buy is all good, but telling them why you are planting the tree and how it will help is much more impactful. Stories are how humans communicate, and data is how machines communicate. Remember this the next time you want to share about the impact you are making.

Tres aspectos agregaría: 1) Simplificar el mensaje y evitar usar términos técnicos. La sostenibilidad suele ser un tema complejo o un gran desconocido para muchos por eso cuanto mas simple y claro sea tu mensaje será mas comprensible y podrá llegar a una audiencia más amplia. 2) Ser transparentes y auténticos. Ser honestos acerca de los retos que se nos presentan y los esfuerzos para poder abordarlos. Esto puede generar confianza y construir relaciones sólidas con tu audiencia. 3) Respaldar tus argumentos con datos y evidencia sólida. Utiliza estadísticas, estudios de caso y otros datos relevantes de fuentes validadas y reconocidas.

Para comunicar eficazmente sobre sostenibilidad, es crucial tener un conocimiento profundo del tema. Esto implica comprender los conceptos clave, las últimas tendencias, los desafíos y las soluciones relacionadas con la sostenibilidad. Mantente actualizado sobre investigaciones científicas, políticas gubernamentales y prácticas innovadoras en el campo. Sé transparente en tu comunicación y respalda tus afirmaciones con evidencia sólida y fuentes confiables. Y enfatiza las soluciones y las acciones positivas que las personas pueden tomar para promover la sostenibilidad. Proporciona consejos prácticos, recursos útiles y pasos concretos.

One of the key metrics in sustainability is Stakeholder Engagement, which is naturally, communication driven. Transparency is the most valued aspect of sustainability communication. Everyone understands that sustainability is a journey and not a fixed state, and it is appreciated when you take your customers through a journey and tell them a story. How does one corporate activity contribute to a certain sustainability metrics? Clear explanations with a transparent current state assessment and future goals and plans for continual improvement are important.