Despite current headwinds (see the omnibus proposal for streamlining the CSRD), sustainability remains a central topic for companies. Today, customers, employees, business partners, and investors not only expect companies to operate more sustainably, but also to communicate about it credibly and understandably. However, this is precisely where mistakes often occur. Many companies invest in projects and measures but fail to present them clearly and effectively.
In this article, we show you the five most common mistakes in sustainability communication and how you can avoid them to make your communication credible, effective, and future-proof.
Error No. 1: Greenwashing and Exaggerated Promises
One of the biggest and most dangerous mistakes in sustainability communication is greenwashing. Companies use terms like “environmentally friendly” or “sustainable” without backing these claims with facts. The public is now highly aware of this and quickly reacts critically when promises are not credible. By next year at the latest, when the EU’s EmpCo Directive (Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition) comes into force, there will also be legal consequences if companies promote their sustainability measures without evidence.
Why is this problematic?
- Loss of trust among target groups
- Reputational damage in media and public
- Increasing legal risks due to regulations such as the Green Claims Directive
How can you avoid this error?
Focus on transparency. Every statement should be supported by figures, evidence, or concrete examples. Instead of “we are sustainable,” better: “We have reduced our energy consumption at our headquarters by 18% since 2022” and a reference to the corresponding source. This makes communication verifiable and prevents greenwashing.
Error No. 2: Too Complex and Incomprehensible
Sustainability reports, in particular, are often full of jargon, regulatory notes, and pages of tables. While valuable and important for experts, they are hardly accessible to most stakeholders.
The consequence: The most important messages do not reach the target audiences and the work on the report goes to waste.
How to do it better:
Don’t worry, you don’t have to completely rewrite your sustainability report. Rather, it should serve as a treasure trove of information for your further communication. Extract individual topics and prepare them for specific target groups. What’s important here:
- Use clear, simple language that is understandable even without ESG expertise.
- Tell stories through storytelling: Projects, employees, or concrete successes appear much more tangible.
- Use infographics, illustrations, or short videos to bring complex content to life.
Always keep in mind who you want to reach with the message and ensure it aligns with your sustainability strategy. Applying these principles makes sustainability understandable and increases the reach of your own communication.
Error No. 3: Inconsistency Between Channels and Departments
Another common problem is the lack of coordination between communication channels and various stakeholders. A specific topic is highlighted on the website, while social media focuses on other priorities. The different business units of a company must also be coordinated, especially when they operate under the same company or brand name.
The Problem: Striking inconsistencies undermine credibility and confuse target groups.
How to Do it Better:
- Develop a central narrative that connects all channels and business units of the company or brand. When selecting topics, base your choices on the results of the double Materiality Assessment.
- Adapt tone and formats to the respective target audience, but ensure that the core messages remain consistent.
- Use the same evidence and proof points everywhere to ensure your statements remain coherent.
- Ensure internal alignment through guidelines, policies, or regular exchange formats, so that everyone uses the same basis.
This creates a consistent image that builds trust and strengthens your sustainability communication overall.
Error No. 4: Obligation, Not Excellence
Many companies publish sustainability reports solely because they are regulatory obligated to do so. While they fulfill their duty, they leave valuable opportunities unused.
Why That’s not Enough:
- Content remains hidden in PDF documents and hardly reaches a wide audience.
- Employer branding, customer loyalty, or investor relations do not benefit.
How to Do it Better:
- Actively prepare content from the report for other formats, such as social media, newsletters, or internal communication.
- Tell the stories behind the numbers to evoke emotions.
- Use sustainability communication strategically to strengthen the brand and build trust.
This turns a tedious obligation into true excellence, and your communication unfolds its impact.
Error No. 5: No Broader Perspective
Why Benchmarking is Crucial
Companies often view their communication in isolation. They don’t know how they compare to competitors. This leads to missed opportunities for differentiation.
Consequences of Missing Benchmarking
- Companies appear interchangeable because they don’t know what others are doing.
- Comparative values are missing to realistically assess one’s own performance.
- Opportunities to clearly position and differentiate oneself remain unused.
How to Avoid this Error
- Regularly conduct benchmarking: What strengths do competitors have, where are you better?
- Learn from best practices without copying them.
- Clearly highlight what makes your company unique.
With benchmarking, you identify trends, find gaps, and can specifically improve your sustainability communication.
Conclusion: Avoiding Errors in Sustainability Communication
Today, sustainability communication significantly determines a company’s trust, reputation, and impact. Stakeholders expect not only actions but also transparent and consistent communication. The typical mistakes in sustainability communication are avoidable if companies consciously counteract them.
Therefore, anyone who wants to make their communication credible and effective should:
- Avoid greenwashing and substantiate every statement with verifiable facts
- Prepare content in such a way that it is understandable and accessible and resonates with all target groups
- Ensure consistency across all channels and business units, especially with a shared brand presence
- Don’t just view sustainability reports as a regulatory obligation, but leverage them strategically to reach target audiences, both with the voluntary VSME report and the comprehensive report under the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS).
- Utilize benchmarking to understand one’s own market position and consciously differentiate oneself from the competition
This creates communication that not only fulfills regulatory requirements but also positions the company as a credible, responsible, and future-oriented player. Ultimately, it’s about not just living sustainability, but also communicating it in a way that it is understood, appreciated, and perceived as genuine added value. This is precisely where the opportunity lies to build trust, strengthen long-term relationships, and positively differentiate one’s own brand.
