Any person remotely connected to the internet knows that industries, conglomerates, MSMEs, and even startups are now trying to become more sustainable in their business strategies. We have sustainability reports, news articles, blogs, and brand videos across the canvas of the internet boasting the sustainable directions taken in every industry. The question that comes to mind is –
Why are Businesses Reworking their Business Practices to be More Sustainable?
‘Our prediction is that every business will be a sustainable business…we believe that being a sustainable business makes you actually more profitable and more successful’ says Julia Sweet, CEO of Accenture.
Companies have become increasingly aware that sustainable practices make them a conscious brand in the eyes of consumers, shareholders, and the general populace. Julia Sweet cited research that concluded that companies with sustainable practices focusing on re-skilling people, becoming more energy efficient, and becoming more agile have increased business productivity and become 2.5 times more successful. Many startups, such as Disguise cosmetics, Good Dot, Vegan Dukan, Beco, BoheCo, Yulu, and Neeman’s, are born out of Sustainability by identifying this opportunity.
Digital communications thus become an essential part of a startup’s efforts in branding themselves as sustainable, and digital agencies are fulfilling these organisational needs by crafting their communication strategies. However, the fallacy of the existing system is twofold. Firstly, the lack of research leads to misinformation and myths construed as facts, and secondly, companies greenwash their identity and mislead consumers and investors.
Prevalence of Greenwashing and the Need for ESG Mandates
Conglomerates globally misuse digital communications to build an image of being environmentally friendly and sustainability-driven. This issue of greenwashing has been prevalent since before digital communications became prevalent. Volkswagen’s debacle with their defeat devices hiding excessive nitrogen oxide pollutant emissions becomes the prime example of this reality. Information via digital communications needs to be more accurately portrayed and also hidden or made misleading. For example, Tesla is considered environmentally friendly, though the amount of pollution caused by lithium extraction for their batteries is detrimental to the environment and society.
The lack of proper ESG frameworks causes people and governments globally to get duped. Government bodies like the SEC are tackling this issue by revisiting and implementing newer compliance regulations and frameworks. However, their recent implementations of frameworks expecting Independent Research Organizations to collect sustainability reports uniformly to be comparable and precise in the analysis have met with many backlashes, questioning the necessity of such stringent frameworks.
While the relevance of ESG frameworks globally is rising as many conglomerates greenwash themselves, digital communications have become more of a priority for startups and MSMEs in the sustainability sector. However, startups like Disguise, Vegan Dukan, Beco, BoheCo, and others, need to be aware of the need for more trust while strategising their digital communication.
The Necessity for Specialised Digital Communications in the Sustainability Sector
Digital communications must be factual and precise, and 360-degree digital agencies loosely cater to this need. People are aware of conglomerates greenwashing their identities. At the same time, government bodies like the SEC are always looking to weed out the greenwashed companies from the sustainable ones. The masses look at digital communications in the Sustainability sector and the governing bodies alike, making communication strategies necessary to be precise, factual, and strategised to avoid misinterpretation. A vast sector like Sustainability that encapsulates all the industries requires deep research and keen attention to detail which often 360-degree agencies cannot provide.
Sustainability-driven digital agencies like ecoHQ are few but are the need of the hour. Founded in 2019, EcoHQ focuses on providing the facts to the general populace and extends content consultation for organisations and influencers in the sustainability sector.
Credits
The article was conceptualised, strategised and supervised by Deepa Sai, the founder of ecoHQ
Anik comes with 4+ years of experience in the film and web series industry. He specializes in content, communications, and marketing strategies. As a writer, he enjoys deep diving with his work in the Sustainability sector in various industries. When he is not busy writing or strategizing, he enjoys watching films, cooking, and reading novels.