The guide, presented in Madrid on 12 April, was developed by the “Sustainability and Reputation” working group under Women Action Sustainability (WAS) together with Corporate Excellence. After several sessions with partners working in the sector (focus group) and by exchanging knowledge to inspire and develop the content, this initiative seeks to support companies in their task of communicating sustainability in a strategic and honest way, which will positively impact their reputation. CANVAS Estrategias Sostenibles [Sustainable Strategies] and Ilunion Comunicación Social [Social Communication also cooperated with the working group.

Elisa Regadera, lecturer and director of the Master’s Degree in Fashion Communication and Marketing at UIC Barcelona, participated in this working group and points out that “companies can no longer grow at any price, as it is essential that they address the ESG criteria (environmental, social and governance) in their contribution of value. There are risks and challenges ahead, but also clear opportunities that they can leverage to generate dialogue and alliances with their stakeholders in their determination to achieve common objectives and boost their corporate purpose, where sustainability will be present in an increasingly relevant way.”

More than 200 people attended the presentation and in addition to laying out the “five essentials” in the sustainability communication section of the guide, Regadera pointed out some ideas that should be present throughout the whole process: strive to be coherent and not be afraid to communicate; promote an internal and cross-disciplinary vision of sustainability; be able to progress in line with the context; try to be specific and realistic; try to take care of both the micro and the macro vision; associate evaluation with communication; do not stop innovating in resources and language; and finally, seek to boost generosity and strengthen partnerships.

The guide offers practical tools and advice that emphasise the importance of transparency and honesty in corporate communication. It is expected to be very useful for small and large businesses that are seeking to effectively communicate sustainability, avoiding #greenwashing (confusing communication that deceives the consumer) or #greenhushing (communication silence).
The guide can be downloaded here.