Sustainability reporting is changing and standards are rapidly evolving. With increasing regulation and expectations for companies, sustainability is becoming even more mainstream and stakeholders all seem to want different things. All of these forces are driving changes in traditional sustainability reporting. 

What does that actually look like? With more to report on than ever before, and employees dedicating more time to sustainability (and sustainability reporting!), not to mention increased scrutiny on quality data, it’s essential that companies start tailoring their sustainability reports and communications to their vast range of audiences: from regulators to savvy customers. 

If your company is truly invested in driving sustainability progress, then sustainability storytelling should be embedded in your corporate communications strategy, not relegated to a report once a year. Companies should think about how they can meet the needs of investors, regulators, and customers while simultaneously engaging audiences with tailored communications.

We think about communicating sustainability progress as three separate but interrelated pieces: 

‍Read more: 8 secrets to effective sustainability reporting

1. Sustainability report and disclosure indices: Continue providing investors and raters with robust data

Disclosures and reports aren’t going away. But their form is changing. Who is really reading a 100-plus page sustainability report? With all of the work your team puts into it, you’re probably hoping everyone, but that’s not realistic. Are you really getting the bang for your buck with all of that effort? Rather than investing so much time into one document meant for all your audiences, we recommend crafting a succinct, data- and disclosure-focused report. This report should be tailored specifically to investors and regulators, detailing goals, progress, and alignment with reporting standards and frameworks like GRI, SASB, CSRD, and TCFD, without any fluff. Ideally, this is a simple, easy-to-download PDF that is high-quality, transparent, and streamlined to emphasize the most important data and disclosures.

Read more: Your sustainability report is not an engagement tool

2. Sustainability summary and website: Share strategy, goals, and highlights with customers and employees

Your customers and employees care more than ever about your sustainability progress. How are you communicating it to them? The most effective approach is to create a storytelling-driven, sustainability summary aimed at customers and employees.

Often, we repeat the same information year over year in a sustainability report. An updated website with robust evergreen content can complement your sustainability reporting and communications suite. A custom microsite can also feature content focused on high-level summaries, highlights, and impactful human-interest stories, while outlining progress and goals for your most devoted audiences: your employees, your partners, and your customers. 

3. Sustainability storytelling: Build reputation by integrating engaging narratives in your brand storytelling

Sustainability work is hard stuff. Make sure you’re building your brand by ensuring these stories are seen and heard. Integrating sustainability into your ongoing communications and marketing strategy can convey the importance of sustainability in your organization. We can help you build a library of content—key stories to tell throughout the year, illustrations and infographics tailored for your website and social media, and key public relations talking points. All these stories ladder up to support the overall goals of the business and engage stakeholders in the important work of sustainability.

At the end of the day, sustainability is not a box that companies check with a massive, annual sustainability report. Businesses should consider how to customize their communications to all of their audiences and keep these stories front and center. Given the wide-reaching value of sustainability to customers, employees, and other stakeholders, sharing big wins shouldn’t just happen when you release your report — but throughout the year. A tailored sustainability report and communications suite can accomplish exactly that. 

Need help evolving your sustainability communications? We’re here to help. Reach out to book a meeting with one of our sustainability experts anytime.