Communications

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Top 10 tips for telling your sustainability story

From growing "tentacles" to using staff as front-line communicators, the modern day sustainability professional can utilise a huge array of techniques to communicate their sustainability strategy in a way that engages stakeholders, employees and consumers alike.

MSC and FOS certified more than nine million metric tonnes of fish in 2015

'Label shopping': Is the certification scheme model broken?

Voluntary certification schemes have fiercely denied claims from a new report that that are providing cover for companies that are "destroying the planet", raising questions of whether the abundance of certification offers is watering-down sustainability efforts.

The OPRL label is recognised by almost three-quarters of consumers

Unilever joins On-Pack Recycling Label scheme to boost plastics recycling

Unilever has joined the On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) scheme to promote the recyclability of its products to consumers, while a six-month trial of clean-cold technology in the company's ice cream transportation trucks has delivered cost-effective environmental benefits.

Duvoisin believes that sustainability can act as a differentiator in today’s market

Sustainability a competitive advantage for business, says Nespresso boss

EXCLUSIVE: Businesses aiming to become sustainability leaders cannot ignore approaches to communication in an age where consumers and stakeholders are actively engaged on corporate approaches to societal and environmental needs, the chief executive of Nespresso has claimed.

The sustainability communications handbook

This handbook equips you with the knowledge and insight required to help your audience understand the true value of sustainability, from the boardroom, to your staff, consumers and investors.

The handbook includes a combination of expert of advice, top tips and case studies that will help you transform your approach to sustainability communications

Telling your sustainability story: edie launches communications handbook

Sustainability and CSR professionals looking to boost stakeholder engagement through effective communications now have access to a new 'handbook', which provides expert advice and insight into how to tell your sustainability story.

Gathering dust: Sustainability reporting experts are in agreement that annual CSR updates need to become a much more integral part of business strategy

Is it time to kill off the standalone sustainability report?

This week's Smarter Sustainability Reporting conference saw a number of industry experts discuss the evolution of the sustainability report, with some going so far as to argue that an individual annual report no longer carries the necessary impetus to drive change. So, is the age of the standalone sustainability report finally over?

Northern Powergrid has established a dedicated smart network policy and development team to coordinate the work

Northern smart grid project could deliver £500m energy savings

Northern Powergrid has launched an £83 million smart grid programme to future-proof its network in preparation for the rapid growth of low-carbon technologies.

Budweiser is calling on other brands to adopt the symbol to help create a new movements that celebrates renewable electricity

Budweiser launches renewables label to celebrate 100% clean energy commitment

Global brewers Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) is placing a renewable electricity label on any Budweiser beer that has been brewed using 100% renewable electricity, as part of a communications push to educate consumers on the firm's sustainability strategy.

Jindal claimed that the banking community is working hard to create a “pipeline of bankable projects”, but that communication barriers remained

Water risks still 'invisible' to finance sector, says ING

Commercial banks are struggling to overcome a communications barrier with businesses to gain insight into portfolio risks specifically associated with water, according to Dutch bank ING's vice president for sustainable finance Ambika Jindal.

For Martinez Diaz, scenario analysis will not only strengthen internal relations, but can also be used to showcase the commercial viability of a company to investors during the low-carbon transition

TCFD's scenario analysis a 'storytelling' opportunity for sustainability professionals, says WRI

EXCLUSIVE: The recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) provide sustainability professionals with a chance to strengthen relationships with board members and the finance department, by utilising the "storytelling" aspects of scenario analysis.

Sustainability Leaders Awards 2018 shortlist revealed!

After a record-breaking number of entries, the judging panel has met, the decisions have been made and edie is proud to reveal the finalists for the 2018 Sustainability Leaders Awards.

edie Explains: Building energy management systems (BEMS)

In the latest in the edie Explains series, we look at building energy management systems (BEMS), exploring what they are, what they do and what the business benefit is.

edie Explains: Energy resilience

Energy resilience is about ensuring a business has a reliable, regular supply of energy and contingency measures in place in the event of a power failure.

From left to right: Debenham's Caroline Haycock, BRC's Alice Ellison, Kingfisher's Jo Mourant and H&M's Catarina Midby

Information overload: Why retailers must finetune sustainability communication

Retailers must be careful not to "bombard" consumers with information, despite heightened external pressures to champion Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues, according to delegates from Kingfisher, H&M and Debenhams.

BT’s principle sustainability consultant and the former energy manager at Heathrow both explained how training willing staff members could move energy schemes beyond awareness

How employee engagement drives energy efficiency for leading corporates

Embedding new smart technologies and systems is a viable way for companies to improve energy efficiency measures, but improvements to technology must be matched by employee development that engages staff to champion energy management.

The engagement drive means that, as of 2016, 98% of Edinburgh's waste is diverted from landfill - a “huge increase” on 2015 levels

In practice: Edinburgh Zoo's behaviour change drive to increase recycling

Attracting more than half a million visitors each year, Edinburgh Zoo has a significant opportunity to engage consumers on sustainability at a large scale. Here, edie charts an award-winning behaviour change drive which has helped the attraction divert 98% of its waste away from landfill.

The campaign is expected to reach 35m British residents by the end of 2017

Coca-Cola's new communications ad uses 1,500 pieces of recycled plastic

Coca-Cola has turned to stop-motion animation to launch a multi-million pound consumer awareness campaign to highlight the recyclability of its products, marking the first time the global drinks giant has issued a sustainability campaign in the UK.

Half of the respondents claimed that developing CSR initiatives was “too time consuming”

Survey: Corporate responsibility improves staff recruitment and customer relations

Corporate responsibility, with an emphasis on environmental action, is resonating amongst staff and consumers, offering better recruitment options for firms that embrace sustainability agendas, a new survey has found.

The 'How to achieve business-buy-in for sustainability' masterclass will be free to watch live at 11am on 22 June, and will be made available on-demand afterwards

TODAY AT 11AM (BST): 30-minute masterclass on achieving business buy-in for sustainability

A free online masterclass will be held today, Thursday 22 June, to help sustainability and CSR professionals effectively engage internal stakeholders in projects and initiatives and ensure the message is not getting lost between departments.

More than 100 sustainability, communications and marketing professionals gathered in London for edie's Sustainability Communications Conference

How can we forge a deeper connection with consumers on sustainability?

EXCLUSIVE: Sustainability practitioners need to personalise their communications strategies to drive engagement with an increasingly ethically-conscious consumer base, a cross-sector panel of experts has concluded.

The advice clinics are just one of the ways we've packed edie Live full of business-critical content and connections this year - for more information visit exhibition.edie.net

Meet the experts for free one-to-one advice

Let our experts steer you along the route to achieving best practice in sustainability, help you grasp complex issues, absorb new trends, deep dive into strategy and tackle challenges with confidence. And all in a one-to-one tailored consultation.

An IPCC meeting in Guadalajara, Mexico, earlier this year. The University of Surrey has been working to empower the organisation to work closer with climate practitioners. Photo: IPCC/Facebook

IPCC must address ‘language barrier’ between climate science and sustainability

EXCLUSIVE: The fight against climate change is being hindered by a gap in culture and language between the science and sustainability communities, which is leading to a disengagement over climate action, a leading academic on the subject has told edie.

An effective sustainability communications strategy can be the difference between you and your team being inspirational or simply being ignored

Making the connection: What does a winning sustainability communications strategy look like?

From breaking down interdepartmental language barriers to aligning specific CSR targets with broader corporate goals, effective communication techniques have become something of an art form among sustainability professionals in recent times. So, what does a successful, all-encompassing communications strategy look like?

A guide to effective sustainability communications

Whether it's driving engaging with employees to maximise results, with stakeholders to translate progress, or with consumers to drive awareness and brand value, getting sustainability communications right is crucial, and getting it wrong can be disastrous.

Costa Coffee's CSR programme manager Victoria Moorhouse (left) and the Rainforest Alliance's marketing associate Reena Chadee (right) are the special guests on this week's show

The Sustainable Business Covered podcast: Episode 21 - Getting engaged with sustainability

It's all about engagement this month on edie and for this special episode of the podcast we sit down with the experts to discuss the most effective ways of ensuring your key stakeholders are on-board and engaged with your sustainability strategy.

An increasung number of companies are now experimenting with various new technologies and media platforms to push their sustainability strategies to wider audiences

Captivating CSR: How to produce an engaging sustainability report

Ahead of edie's Smarter Sustainability Reporting conference, Matt Mace investigates how companies are going beyond compliance with their reports to drive engagement on a range of CSR issues among key stakeholders.

Businesses with one eye on the horizon are turning to new methods to drive home their sustainability message in a way the CSR reports and glowing PR stories can’t

Engagement evolution: 6 exciting trends directing the future of sustainability communications

As edie's engagement month of editorial content rolls on, we round-up some of the latest techniques and platforms businesses are using to drive sustainability engagement among internal and external stakeholders.

Unilever’s Sustainable Living division brands are now developing 30% faster than the rest of the business

Clearer marketing can open £800bn windfall for 'sustainable' brands, says Unilever

Brands that move to promote the sustainability credentials of their products more clearly can tap into a £817bn market opportunity catalysed by a growth in awareness amongst consumers, new research from Unilever has suggested.

The Body Shop's international commitment & corporate communications director Kate Levine discusses the role of ‘The Influencer’ in a sustainability team. (Scroll down to play video).

60-second sustainability skill - The Influencer (Part 2)

The next in our mini-series of short videos produced as part of edie's 'sustainability skills' month sees The Body's Shop's Kate Levine give her take on the importance of influencing skills for sustainability professionals to drive positive change within their organisation and beyond.

The process of controlling or limiting the choices available to consumers could be an important next step for the circular economy

Choice editing: a crucial next step for the circular economy?

Manufacturers and retailers should go beyond using persuasion techniques to encourage resource-efficient behaviours towards the process of 'choice editing', where hard-to-recycle products are removed from shelves or certain materials are eliminated from packaging in order to limit consumer choices around the circular economy.

Businesses are missing out on attracting investment from the ever-growing number of investors that incorporate CSR information into their financial analysis and decision-making

Businesses must address 'internal disconnect' to deliver sustainability success

Sustainability and investor agendas are becoming increasingly intertwined, but gaps in knowledge and understanding are preventing companies and investors from sharpening their focus on long-term sustainable value creation, a new report has found.

WRAP's new Recycling Guidelines clarify the “what, why and how” of the recyclability of items such as paper, card, cartons, metal, plastic and glass packaging

Waste management industry unites to develop 'first ever' National Recycling Guidelines

Britain's rising recycling contamination levels could be pulled back on track thanks to a new set of guidelines developed by the waste management industry which detail exactly what can and cannot be accepted for recycling at the kerbside.

Energy storage in the UK: An overview

The aim of this report is to increase knowledge of the industry among various stakeholders.

A Resourceful Future – Expanding the UK Economy

This report by SUEZ reveals that more than £9bn could be added to the UK economy by integrating circular economy principles into the country’s emerging industrial strategy.

Dutch brewer Heineken USA and telecoms firm Virgin Media are adopting a 'show-not-tell' CSR reporting model to drive consumer engagement

Virgin Media and Heineken USA revolutionise CSR reporting with gamification and 360-degree video

EXCLUSIVE: As investors, campaign groups and consumers continue to pile pressure on companies to accelerate progress towards ambitious climate goals, some of the stalwarts of sustainability reporting are beginning to look beyond traditional methods of disclosure to drive stakeholder engagement with their CSR reports.

There are still murmurs within sustainability departments (which develop into muffled screams in the marketing departments) that sustainability simply can’t do what sex can… sell

The 'S' word: A guide to communicating sustainability to consumers

In the final part of edie's 'guide-to' series for sustainable professionals, Matt Mace explores how to communicate sustainability to different business departments and consumers, and asks the experts whether it is time to disregard the 'S' word altogether.

Recycling remuneration: Local authorities that have taken on recycling rewards schemes have seen a significant growth in recycling rates

Could rewards schemes reinvigorate Britain's static recycling rates?

Long-term investment in rewards-based behaviour change schemes is the only way to reinvigorate plateauing recycling rates in a post-Brexit Britain, with 'quick-win' solutions failing to deliver for local authorities across the country.

The Sustainable Business Covered podcast: Episode 04 - Plan A progress and carbon-neutral beer

Listen to exclusive interviews with M&S's director of sustainable business Mike Barry, the new director of the Corporate Leaders Group Jill Duggan, and Heineken's director of global sustainable development Michael Dickstein in this fourth episode of the Sustainable Business Covered podcast.

Helias said that breaking down barriers between departments, getting the board on-board and generating consumer interest in ’sustainability’ are all key communicative challenges

Sustainability professionals must adopt 'courageous leadership' skills, says P&G

EXCLUSIVE: Integrating sustainability as a business strategy requires "courageous leadership" in a world with limited resources and environmental challenges, according to Procter & Gamble's (P&G) global sustainability director.

Join the edie editorial team as we explore the latest green business trends and developments in the Sustainable Business Covered podcast

The Sustainable Business Covered podcast: Episode 02 - Monkey dating and the 'S' word

The edie editorial team brings you the latest news, insight and inspiration from the world of sustainable business with this latest podcast episode, featuring an exclusive interview with The Body Shop and a behind-the-scenes look at the Sustainability Communications Conference.

Sustainable Business Covered podcast: Episode 02 - Monkey dating and the 'S' word

Listen to an exclusive interview with The Body Shop's director of corporate responsibility and go behind the scenes at edie's Sustainability Communications Conference in this second episode of the Sustainable Business Covered podcast.

World green building trends 2016

For green building to accelerate globally, building industry professionals require the latest data and trends to inform their decisions. The World Green Building Trends 2016 Study.

Eileen Donnelly admitted that consumers are driven by price rather than product messages

Selling sustainability: Business culture more effective than 'green' products

EXCLUSIVE: Companies should stop 'selling' sustainability and focus on creating products and brands that have green credentials embedded as a core value, industry experts have argued.

edie's inaugural Sustainability Skills Workshop will take place in London on 26 January 2016

edie launches brand new Sustainability Skills Workshop

The sustainability leaders of tomorrow will be able to enhance their existing skills and develop new ones thanks to a brand new edie workshop being launched next year.

Richard Lochhead MSP says the Conservative party's 'Euro-scepticism' is ignoring what's right for the environment

MSP hits out at UK's 'reluctance' over circular economy

EXCLUSIVE: Britain's transition to a circular economy is being stifled by an unenthusiastic Government that is seemingly reluctant to support EU regulation, according to Scotland's Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead.

Generating behaviour change and sustainable employee engagement requires both emotional and intellectual intelligence

Empowering change: Three steps to improve employee engagement

The recent flurry of ambitious new behaviour change programmes from big business shows no signs of abating, with sustainability professionals citing it as one of their top priorities this year.