What are the best ways to communicate environmental sustainability across cultures?

When communicating environmental sustainability across cultures, it is crucial to know your audience. Best practices include conducting cultural research to understand values, beliefs, and communication norms. Tailoring messages to resonate with specific cultural contexts and using language that is inclusive and accessible is important. Employing visual aids, storytelling, and engaging local leaders and influencers can enhance understanding and acceptance. Additionally, collaborating with local communities and organizations to co-create and deliver messages can foster a sense of ownership and promote sustainable behaviors that align with cultural practices.

Circular economy and related behaviour is an excellent example for differences between cultures. While some countries are more consumption-based and communication there focuses on trying to change consumer/buying behaviour, other cultures are heavily relying on repairing, reusing and refurbishing products, giving them second, third and even tenth life (because they couldn't afford to do otherwise and buy new products). Being conscious of such differences and communicating accordingly is crucially important.

A democratização do conhecimento é um dos principais meios para gerar transformação. É entender a realidade do seu público e trabalhar nela com afinco. Ao usar uma linguagem clara, você indica o cuidado que tem para que o seu conteúdo atinga o objetivo esperado. Gosto de falar que a comunicação é um dos ponto chave para qualquer iniciativa de impacto.

Not only assume, but acknowledge/mind the gap. There's a reason why you or your organization may be the chosen one(s) to communicate on behalf of a culture/to other culture, but that doesn't mean you inherently understand all systemic and sociopolitical challenges. Make that clear.

When communicating environmental sustainability across cultures, it is important to highlight the benefits and opportunities. Best practices include showcasing how sustainable practices can improve quality of life, preserve natural resources, and create economic opportunities. Emphasizing the positive impact on health, livelihoods, and future generations can resonate with diverse cultures. Utilizing culturally-appropriate messaging, visuals, and examples can effectively convey the relevance and value of environmental sustainability. Encouraging participation, collaboration, and knowledge sharing across cultures can further foster a global movement towards a sustainable future.

It's crucial to highlight positive examples what is already being done. Solutions and actions to not always need to be complex. Consider frugal innovation: it focuses on developing simple cost-effective solutions that address one certain needs, such as one dollar glasses. This is something that can be inspiring to cultures that are technology- and science-focused.

I would suggest that communication is a two-way, equal, ongoing exchange between people, in which all participants act in good faith and are open to new information and concepts. This is how you communicate effectively across cultural difference--because you've created the conditions in which it's possible to learn what is meaningful, relevant and respectful to the eyes and ears of the people you're trying to reach. This is a different paradigm from the one that is mostly in play when we talk about communication, but I think that a paradigm shift is needed if we really want to sustain the kinds of changes we need in production and consumption.

Craft sustainability messages that seamlessly integrate with diverse cultural narratives. Instead of imposing a universal approach, tailor your communication to resonate with local values, traditions, and concerns. This ensures that environmental sustainability becomes a shared story, fostering genuine engagement and commitment across cultures. A good example of this was Nike's "Move to Zero" campaign which excelled in global sustainability communication by tailoring messages to diverse cultures. They collaborated with local influencers, used cultural symbolism, and shared real stories, fostering authenticity and making sustainability relatable worldwide.