Do companies report what they are doing when it comes to their sustainability goals?

There’s been a lot of concern recently whether organisations are keeping their word when turning good intentions and appealing promises into real practices. 

Corporations have an environmental responsibility when it comes to shaping a world where people and communities thrive, and their actions speak louder than words. Making promises and then actually “walking the talk” contributes to building a company’s image as a reliable organisation in the public’s eyes. 

However, there’s a problem. 

Regardless of the quality of existing regulations, and the value of ‘walking the talk’ — the definition of what is sustainable or not is not clear. Sustainability is a relatively new concept, and mistakes are inevitable. That’s why it’s so important to incorporate transparency. 

It’s not just about what’s written in a company’s sustainability reports. It’s about understanding what is actually reported. It’s about talking the walk. 

Talking the walk means communicating to a range of different audiences in ways they will understand both the intent and content, while allowing diverse cultural and political views that may affect how an audience interprets a message. 

Businesses need to be careful not to overstate what they will deliver on, nor ‘greenwash’ what they are doing. Walking the talk helps to evaluate how effective the corporate social responsibility and green HR processes are. It also strengthens the commitment of the organisation to maintain and continuously improve on these processes. 

In the end, sustainability shouldn't be ‘at the expense’ of the business. It should be a driver to be a better business. 

Did you ever detect any ‘greenwashing’?