The continuing economic climate further challenges organisations, which might lead some companies to postpone their corporate responsibility work, or altogether do away with the ethos. So it is timely that the United Nations climate chief, Christiana Figueres, is increasingly looking to business leaders to show the way forward to a low-carbon future. In January the UNFCCC launched a database for companies to list the activities they are undertaking to address Climate Change. Is your company listed? How are you getting your story told and sharing important information?

Over the last few years, there has been a significant degree of administrative reform, in terms of the increasing number of major companies declaring their social responsibility credentials, and backing up their claims by producing substantial environmental, social and sustainability reports. For corporate responsibility to be meaningful, we need to move forward from reporting on voluntary initiatives, to an institutional reform that empowers identified stakeholders  in a way that enhances corporate accountability and drives organisational performance to ensure the effective management of economic, environmental and community impacts.

Sustainable business performance goes hand in hand with business success. 

Organisations need to develop, in partnership with their stakeholders, a shared agenda that covers social issues, environmental impacts and economic development. Companies can show leadership and strategic planning for the future by driving open discussion and dialogue that will help define specific and material priorities. While there are broad definitions for corporate citizenship and sustainability, the implementation needs to be relevant and includes a review of the supply chain.

There is a great succeeds story that the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group has to share about successful communication, reporting and building successful public private partnerships for sustainable growth.

So the question is, how to start telling a tale?

Sustainability is about a way of life and an ethos that is lived and breathed. It doesn’t belong in a “department” nor does it reside under a communications department as a part of corporate positioning. Start with relevant and interesting information that your audience can relate to. Employees and the public are intelligent, they can see through waffle and deception, companies need to be honest about the issues that face their business, what is being done about them – How do you plan to make a difference?

How do you reach out? 

Traditionally, organisations communicate through annual reports, corporate responsibility reports, corporate websites, and media via press releases and conferences. This offers very limited opportunities for engagement and interaction with stakeholders and customers, more often than not, it is really a one way dialogue. More recently, social media has offered an interactive platform for sharing and communicating in realtime offering further opportunities for engagement, with both workers and the public.

A part of successful communications is engaging the reader by sharing information, asking for input and acting on it, for example BAA Heathrow  has evolved its sustainability reporting over the yea....

What can you do today?

Cranfield University shares excellent resources online, check out how to engage employees in corporate responsibility.

• Educate and train employees to manage their work in a sustainable manner, reduce, reuse , recycle!
• Create opportunities for internal dialogue on sustainability and enable workers to participate and lead sustainability initiatives in employee line of expertise or work area.
• Let people know how they can take action.