Climate Protection in Communication
The topic of sustainability has long since ceased to be a feel-good factor. Those who act sustainably make a contribution to climate protection. Sustainability and climate protection therefore go hand in hand. Responsible use of natural resources is gradually becoming obligatory for many companies. More and more companies are relying on sustainability strategies at product and performance level for climate protection and positive branding. But what about internal and external communication? How can companies ensure that communication and advertising strategies are sustainable?
Why is climate protection communication relevant?
Climate protection is becoming increasingly important in view of the ongoing climate change. For this reason, the opportunities presented by climate protection strategies should be used to stimulate positive changes and lead the industry in a more sustainable direction. By leading by example, new innovations can be initiated and effective education about sustainability and climate protection can be provided. Thus, it is possible to convey a better understanding of an environmentally conscious brand.
Sustainability at fiveandfriends
Sustainability as a corporate strategy requires the involvement of all employees.
How can you win over your employees for climate protection?
- Be an inspiration to your team by promoting a sustainability initiative. Involve your employees directly in the selection of climate protection projects.
- In addition, introduce the concept of the Good Life Goals. The Good Life Goals are essential for everyone and focus on personal engagement with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
- Keep an eye on the diverse Key Environmental Dates and celebrate these important days together with your team.
- Create a „CO2-Code of Conduct“ for your employees in which you show do's & don'ts to live sustainability inside and outside of work.
- Give employees the opportunity to become active themselves. fiveandfriends, for example, approves a social day four times a year. This leads to a better understanding of sustainability.
COMPANIES MUST ADDRESS CLIMATE PROTECTION IN CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
What does climate change mean for communication strategies?
- for every company and every brand it is becoming elementary to deal with climate protection and sustainability
- the question of a dispute is not if, but when
- the question for communication is not whether, but how
Prevent greenwashing accusations with clarity and transparency in climate protection communication
Climate protection is not just any communication topic. After all, you are not promoting just any product feature or any product launch, but we are talking about environmental protection. Clarity and transparency in communication are therefore elementary. In addition, information on climate protection must be easily accessible and comprehensive on the corporate/brand website, including detailed information (e.g. on methodologies, scopes, system boundaries or targets). Care should be taken to omit exaggerations and "overblown" marketing statements without substance. This means not publishing and boasting about self-created labels without transparency and "proof". Climate protection should only be the subject of a campaign if you are actually active in climate protection. fiveandfriends works here with a sustainability report that discloses all activities that concern climate protection. Transparent, credible and without a lot of hoopla.
Pioneering role in climate protection as a competitive advantage
The introduction of an effective as well as comprehensive climate protection strategy as a core part of your corporate strategy ensures the long-term competitiveness of your company. It is also the best way to achieve your Net Zero targets and lead the way in climate action. The fact is that real solutions to mitigate climate change require ambitious and accelerated action at the global level. Thus, companies of all sizes are challenged to drastically reduce their CO2 footprint.
Influence on consumption decisions
Nowadays, many customers take environmental aspects into account when making purchasing decisions. Sustainability and climate protection should therefore form a certain part of your advertising campaigns in order to reach precisely these environmentally conscious consumers and win them over for your products or services. In this way, you show that your company cares about the environment. This will give you an additional competitive advantage over other brands that do not focus on sustainability in their advertisements.
Tips for credible climate protection communication
- Storytelling and positive communication are key, because stories make it easier to explain complex issues, difficult contexts and uncomfortable insights. It is important to stay positive, encourage and show concrete possibilities.
- Declare climate neutrality, because climate-neutral companies, processes and products are those whose CO2emissions have been calculated, reduced as far as possible and whose remaining emissions have been offset by supporting internationally recognised climate protection projects. In addition to avoidance and reduction, this offsetting of CO2-emissions is an important step in holistic climate protection.
- Addressing unpleasant truths, from "Do good and talk about it" to "Do good and talk about everything, including challenges and difficulties". This creates a basis for new relationships that are more solid than single sustainable highlights.
The Way to Climate Protection Communication
First, the corporate carbon footprint is determined. This balances the company's own greenhouse gas emissions as well as all relevant greenhouse gas emissions caused along the value chain. This is followed by the Product Carbon Footprint, which includes the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by a product in the various phases of its life cycle. In this way, it is ultimately possible to think about reducing and offsetting the resulting emissions.
Cooperation with ClimatePartner
ClimatePartner is one of the leading providers of climate protection solutions and has been helping companies to calculate and offset their CO2 emissions since 2006. The CO2 emissions are offset here through the financial support of selected climate protection projects. These projects meet internationally recognised standards such as the Gold Standard or the Verified Carbon Standard and are also based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.
ClimatePartner's Climate Neutral label has established itself as a seal of quality. It fulfils technical and information-specific requirements and was developed from experience with countless customer projects over the years. Thus, the label creates transparency about CO2 offsetting and is recommended by many independent organisations. It also has other advantages. The label is awarded autonomously and is therefore credible and trustworthy, in contrast to logos designed by the company itself. The ClimatePartner label is widely used in many sectors and in many countries and has a high recognition factor. It also has a registered design under trademark law.
Outlook
By using sustainable and thus environmentally friendly advertising campaigns, companies can demonstrate their commitment to a cleaner environment. This gives them the opportunity to differentiate themselves from competitors who do not take action. Furthermore, sustainable advertising often leads to a higher ROI as it increases brand loyalty due to its authenticity and transparency. With these benefits in mind, it is clear that investing in sustainable advertising is an important step for any modern business that wants to maximise profits while protecting the planet.