This is how companies demonstrate sustainability in communication

26.10.2022 – 08:00

updated news GmbH

Hamburg (ots)

When companies communicate their commitment to sustainability, they mainly document it with formal formats such as the sustainability report, certifications or their own codes of conduct or supplier codes. This is a central result of News aktuell and the information office’s current PR trend monitoring. 244 communication professionals from Germany and Switzerland participated in the survey on the importance of sustainability and sustainable communication.

As a result, sustainability is already a top priority for the vast majority of German and Swiss companies: 83 percent of respondents said they played a very important or quite important role in their company. However, sustainability is only an integral part of the business strategy for a minority and is therefore strongly integrated into the company (45%). Sustainability is a little less integrated, but still strategically addressed by a good quarter of the interviewees: 22% have their own sustainability strategy in addition to the corporate strategy. In almost one in three companies, however, there is no sustainability strategy (29 per cent).

A good third has not yet communicated their sustainability (34 per cent). However, a clear majority of respondents already report sustainability (63%). Most of them demonstrate their commitment with formal formats: first comes the sustainability report (62 percent), secondly comes the certification (60 percent), and thirdly the codes of conduct or codes of suppliers (39 per cent).

A minority supports their commitment to sustainability with other communication formats such as conferences, videos, newsletters and press releases (13%) or through other commitments such as participation in initiatives, awards or studies (9%). Every tenth company communicates its sustainability, but does not provide evidence (11%).

Environmental aspects occupy the greatest space in the sustainability communication of the companies interviewed: 91 percent report their contribution to climate and environmental protection or their CO2 emissions. The social aspects are second when it comes to communicated sustainability: 74 percent provide information, for example, on measures to protect work and health, on the compatibility between work and family or on training programs in the company. On the other hand, reports on entrepreneurial activities for the benefit of society are somewhat less common, for example through donations, foundations or corporate volunteer offers (67%). Dealing responsibly with market participants, for example through fair relationships with customers and service providers or anti-corruption measures, is a sustainability communication topic for half of the respondents (51%).

The results at a glance:

1. What role does sustainability play in your company?

• Very important + rather important 83%
• Rather irrelevant + completely irrelevant 15%
• I don’t know 2%

2. How integrated is sustainability in your company?

• Sustainability is an integral part of the corporate strategy 45%
• There is no sustainability strategy 29%
• Alongside the corporate strategy there is a 22% sustainability strategy
• I don’t know 4%

3. Does your company communicate its sustainability?

• And 63%
• No 34%
• I don’t know 3%

4. How does your company demonstrate its commitment to sustainability in its communication?

• Sustainability report 62%
• Certifications 60%
• Codes of conduct or supplier codes 39%
• Other communications and PR 13%
• The commitment to sustainability is not documented 11%
• Other (initiatives, awards, etc.) 9%
• I don’t know 3%

5. What aspects of sustainability does your company communicate about?

• Environment (climate and environmental protection, CO2 emissions, etc.) 91%
• Employees (occupational health and safety, diversity, work-life balance, training and further training, etc.) 74%
• Society (corporate volunteering, foundation, donations, sponsorships, etc.) 67%
• Market (customer relations, quality, human rights, anti-corruption, etc.) 51%

Source: Online survey of news aktuell and fact office in February 2022 between 244 (questions 1-3) and 142 (questions 4-5) communication professionals from companies, organizations and agencies in Germany and Switzerland.

About current news

As a wholly owned subsidiary of dpa, news aktuell offers companies, institutions and associations effective access to the media and consumers and supports them in telling their stories easily and successfully. Through the digital tools ots and zimpel, PR content reaches all multimedia formats such as classic paper titles, online portals with high click rates or social networks. Furthermore, news aktuell publishes all PR content of its clients on www.presseportal.de, one of the largest PR portals in Germany. In this way, all relevant target groups are reached all over the world, from editorial offices to specialized blogs, digital influencers and interested individuals. news aktuell has been on the market since 1989 and employs over 135 people. The company’s headquarters are in Hamburg. Other locations are in Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich.

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updated news GmbH
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