3 terms the communications specialist always steers clear off - and why!
When communicating about CSR, sustainability and ESG you should always refrain from using general and vague terms. This is one of the most important rules of CSR communication.
But what does it mean, and what is a general term?
Get to know three of them.
#1 Green
What does it mean to be green? Is it organic? Is it made from renewable sources?
One thing it surely doesn’t seem to mean is socially sustainable. Not only is ‘green’ difficult to decode, it also fails to include a very important aspect of sustainability.
#2 Eco
Just like ‘green’, eco can be a confusing word. It is not exactly clear what it entails, but it is clearly related to nature and biology. Another problem, at least in Danish, is the similarity with ‘øko’, the short version of organic.
#3 Environmentally friendly
How can something be friendly to the environment? And is it really so?
An environmentally friendly product should in no way harm the environment. Can any product really claim that?
The general problem with general terms
When a consumer encounters a general term, they will often believe that the product or service they are looking at has no negative impact on the environment, perhaps even a positive one.
They believe it to be "environmentally perfect" so to speak. But no product, especially not in the fashion and lifestyle industry can claim that.
We still use resources to produce our products, and very few of those resources are restored or returned to nature in a positive way.
Want to know more about sustainability communication?
Click the button right here to access the recording of our webinar An introduction to Sustainability Communication.