Raise awareness of sustainability through these steps:
Less is more. Define the central topics for your target groups. Break down complex topics into simple messages. Aim for no more than 5 topics to focus on. Select issues that matter daily to your customers, suppliers and/or employees and that will help launch sustainable offerings or reduce significant negative sustainability impacts in your company or value chain. You can also select new topics. If you have previously focused on energy efficiency, for example, consider examining water efficiency.
Make sustainability a topic in all interactions. Use your core topics to exchange ideas with customers, suppliers and employees. Ensure you're not just providing one-sided information but taking opportunities to keep learning and gaining allies for your most important sustainability initiatives. Enter into dialogue. Discuss your ambitions, your current position, and the challenges you still face. Welcome criticism, exchange possible solutions and foster collaboration.
Always consider your counterpart's perspective and structure your communication and engagement opportunities for mutual benefit. Ask yourself how you can help your customers, suppliers and employees improve on key sustainability issues. Create opportunities for joint projects. For example, you might develop a new, recyclable variant of your core product together with your most important customers and suppliers, ensuring all parties have a long-term interest in making a new business model work.
