Once upon a time

There are several routes to improving the telling of your sustainability story. James Whittingham, Senior Sustainability Consultant, Luminous, shares his recommendations on how to enhance the sustainability narrative within your annual and sustainability report and related communications to improve the message delivered to employees, shareholders, customers and the communities in which the business operates.

Set the tone from the top

Make a senior executive the primary sponsor of your sustainability programme and activity. To connect with employees and customers, create an introduction and welcome to the sustainability section of the annual report and sustainability report from a C-suite colleague – they can set the scene and announce the highlights and key progress made in the reporting period and communicate the level of ambition and direction of travel.

Demonstrate a clear governance structure for sustainability matters
Stakeholders need reassurance that there is a ‘golden thread’ connecting sustainability right throughout the business. Outline the governance of, and approach to, sustainability within your organisation. Include a simple organisational chart to show how the sustainability manager/team fits with, and is connected to, a sustainability committee/working group and how this is linked to the Executive Team, as well as the primary C-suite sponsor.

Define your material impact areas
It’s essential to clearly communicate the most important, or material, sustainability issues, impacts and risks as well as the steps the business is taking to ameliorate and manage these. An infographic or chart, known as a materiality matrix, is a good way to present the material issues. It gives stakeholders a representation of the full range of topics with an explanation as to why the business has chosen to focus on the top five or six, for example. This will form the focus of your sustainability strategy.

Be SMART and outline objectives and targets
It’s important to have an overall ambition and narrative idea that’s part of the strategy – this helps to lead the narrative and creates consistency. An organisation’s sustainability journey should start with a sustainability policy. The policy’s function is to set out the sustainability stall with signposts towards a strategy which provides the overall framework and direction of travel, all supported by objectives and targets. Make sure these are SMART: Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Realistic – Timebound. It takes time to research and set bold targets – especially science-based climate reduction targets – and a business needs to report not only the successes, but also the failures or disappointments. Transparency builds trust, which is a valuable commodity in itself.

Clearly communicate your achievements
Do not assume your audience will understand what it means for your organisation to be included within a key investor-focused environmental, social and governance (ESG) index or an industry benchmarking scheme. Include the logos, avoid jargon, set the scene and take the opportunity to make your audience aware of these achievements and performance results, and what that means for building a better business. Third-party endorsements, such as inclusion within indices or similar, provide objective assurance to stakeholders that your sustainability efforts are a sign of your business being on track towards being a good long-term investment.

Design matters
It’s very easy for certain sectors to put themselves in a box, see themselves as ‘normal’ and adopt a solemn take on the world. But every business has a sustainability story that thoughtful creativity and great design can make shine. An organisation’s annual report, sustainability report or content on-line is an ideal platform from which to express the brand and with which to visually engage and inspire its readers and stakeholders. Embrace the opportunity to share your personality with the world.