The word ‘Sustainability’ has become dirty – ironically. Say it and people yawn, the shutters come down and you lose them. And this isn’t due to a lack of intent, innovation or even policy, its because of how it’s been communicated up to now.
For years, sustainability messaging has leant heavily on data, urgency, and moral appeal. While these are important, they often miss the mark with the very audiences they aim to influence. The result is a paradox where awareness is high, but meaningful engagement and behaviour change lag behind.
The core problem as I see it is a disconnect between message and audience – so often the case with many types of communication, but never more so than here. This is because:
a) There is an overwhelming complexity. Technical jargon, abstract metrics, and long-term projections make sustainability feel distant and inaccessible.
b) The endless doom-driven narratives just scare-monger and shut audiences down. The constant emphasis on crisis and catastrophe can lead to fatigue and anxiety, for ourselves, our families and even can make the positive work we are doing seem futile in the face of it all.
People don’t ignore sustainability because they don’t care – they disengage because the messaging doesn’t feel relevant, empowering, or actionable, or there is a lack of awareness around the smaller changes that can be made, which really do have an impact. Especially if everyone does them.
So to fix this, we need to collectively shift the narrative.
Instead of positioning sustainability as a sacrifice, we should present it as a source of value that’s intrinsically woven through our lives. We should be talking about:
- Tangible benefits
- Innovation and progress, not just problems
- Stories of success, not just warnings of failure
And most importantly, sharing progress not perfection. I was on a call recently with The Ethical Agency Alliance and the importance of radical transparency in our communications came up, and holding our clients accountable to this. That radical shift to not being afraid to talk about where we could do better, and encouraging clients to really look at their suppliers, are all ways that we can weave sustainability through everyday narratives and actions.
Moving beyond abstract statistics and data and bringing sustainability to life through human-centred storytelling isn’t a new idea, but it still isn’t being used enough within the sustainability landscape. Those within this sector know it, but it can often feel like shouting into an echo chamber – to take this out more widely, we need to be talking about and encouraging stories around:
- Real people making real changes
- Localised impact that audiences can relate to
- Using clear, simple language that invites participation
The goal is to make sustainability feel immediate and personal, not distant, theoretical and unrelatable and when people see how their individual actions connect to larger outcomes, engagement deepens.
So let’s advocate for a change narrative. This requires a shift:
- From complexity to clarity
- From fear to empowerment
- From abstract goals to human stories
- From awareness to action (although arguably I still think there is a huge awareness job to be done)
Sustainability is ultimately about collective behaviour change, across a myriad of different areas of everyone’s lives, both work and personal and to facilitate that positive communication narrative, we need to bring positive outcomes and transitional journeys into the spotlight.
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Suzie Mills
As the CEO of Oxygen, I bring over 18 years of marketing expertise, combining a passion for purpose with a proven track record of creating impactful brand stories. Having worked across both in-house and agency environments, I’ve developed and executed transformative campaigns for global brands like P&G, Delta Airlines, Barclays, and Nissan. Since 2019, I’ve shifted my focus to the mission-driven sector, where I partner with organizations to understand their core values and craft communications strategies that accelerate the achievement of their objectives. I am driven by the opportunity to inspire, connect, and innovate, constantly seeking new ways to create meaningful impact for both clients and communities.
