How companies are redefining credible sustainability storytelling

As companies set increasingly ambitious sustainability targets, communicating progress credibly across global value chains has become a challenge in its own right. For the first session of Innovation Forum’s new series, ‘Sustainability communications and engagement: A community for authentic and effective action’, we brought together corporate B2B leaders to discuss just that.

The discussion surfaced a number of shared challenges - internal alignment, legal scrutiny, the limits of language, and the growing need to communicate setbacks honestly. And we also discussed where B2B sustainability storytelling is heading - more collaborative, more grounded in evidence, and more intentional about the audiences it intends to reach.

Internal alignment as the backbone of credible sustainability communication

All speakers agreed that good external communication starts the need for internal alignment. While sustainability communications roles sit across different parts of organisations (corporate comms, public affairs, legal, sustainability etc), the underlying internal task is to make sure people across markets, regions and functions are speaking a consistent language.

Companies are investing heavily in this internal infrastructure:

creating sustainability playbooks and messaging toolkits
developing frameworks to target different employee groups
building resource hubs that centralise messaging, data and approved claims
running training to increase confidence and avoid accidental greenwash
regular and consistent communication between all functions

This reflects a broader shift in the market where internal coherence is becoming a strategic differentiator, rather than an administrative task. When teams are aligned, they are able to communicate clearly, quickly, and with more integrity - something audiences increasingly recognise and seek.

Transparency is the new baseline and companies need to show the real story

A second theme that has emerged strongly over the past years is a growing expectation of honesty and transparency. While not always easy, this also means communicating when things haven’t gone as planned, the unexpected challenges that inevitably come with sustainability transformation.

One example came from Carbery Group’s Farm Zero C project, which saw emissions unexpectedly increase after a year of extreme weather. The company chose to communicate this openly - a decision that resonated positively not just with its customers, but also with farmers who expect honesty above perfection.

Audiences are increasingly wary of overly polished narratives. They respond more positively to companies who openly discuss setbacks, difficult trade-offs and limitations - especially in B2B contexts where these complexities are better understood.

For communications teams, this shift requires a different kind of storytelling - one that is more nuanced, more honest about uncertainty, and more deliberate about how complex information is shared with different audiences.

At Innovation Forum, we take the same approach when working with partners - our webinars, workshops and conferences are built on honest discussion, tough questions and authentic storytelling. See here for more information on get in touch to discuss how we can work together on your objectives.

The current climate, precision and caution are reshaping sustainability storytelling

Several speakers noted that language that was once common - broad claims about “sustainable products,” “responsible sourcing,” or “impact at scale” - has become far more risky. Legal teams are more involved than ever and reporting functions are central partners.

This is creating changes around sustainability communications where claims must be verifiable, specific and narrow, narratives need to evolve with the regulatory landscape, and teams must navigate the tension between transparency and legal caution

The result is that storytelling is becoming more precise, less promotional and more grounded in actual performance. For communications professionals, this means engaging earlier and more deeply with sustainability, legal, sourcing, supply chain and reporting colleagues.

Communicating complexity remains a challenge

A recurring question from the audience was how to translate technical sustainability content into accessible, compelling material without oversimplifying it. This remains one of the most persistent challenges for B2B brands.

Speakers shared approaches that are gaining traction:

leading with context before diving into data
using real, unpolished visuals from farms, factories or field projects
grounding stories in people rather than abstract systems
co-creating content between comms and sustainability teams early in the process
accepting that some complexity must remain

Companies are learning that audiences - whether investors, customers or civil society - are more comfortable with complexity than previously assumed, where an honest story is desired more than a simple story.

We will be diving more into this in an upcoming free workshop. Fill in your details here to join the community and be kept up to date.

Partnerships and customer co-creation are strengthening both impact and narrative

Not only are internal teams working together for more impactful storytelling, but so are customers and clients. In B2B sectors where value chains are long and responsibilities are shared, companies are working together rather than telling sustainability stories in isolation.

This not only reduces reputational risk but also creates more credible, evidence-backed narratives. It allows companies to understand what partners - especially large customers - need to communicate to their own stakeholders, and design messaging that supports that.

Innovation Forum worked with ofi to help them communicate on and launch their new company-wide sustainability strategy, Choices for Change, through a virtual event. This included key partner voices from organisations such as Mars Wrigley, Sustainable Food Lab and USAID.

Where B2B sustainability communications is heading

Overall, the speakers focused on a few themes in regards to where sustainability communications is heading:

Internal alignment will be integral: Companies that invest in internal frameworks, training and governance will communicate more credibly and more confidently.
Transparency will continue to create trust: Acknowledging setbacks will increasingly be seen as a strength, not a vulnerability.
The bar for accuracy will keep rising: Broad claims are fading and specificity and evidence will become the norm.
Employees are more visible ambassadors: The organisations winning trust will be those enabling their own people to tell the story with accuracy and authenticity.
Collaboration will produce the strongest narratives: Shared stories developed with partners will become more prevalent as value chains become more interconnected and expectations rise.

Webinar title: ‘Building credibility in sustainability storytelling: How B2B companies are strengthening trust through transparent communication’

Speakers:

Hannah Rizo, head of sustainability communications, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
Zoe Maddison, senior sustainability communications manager, ofi
Enda Buckley, director of sustainability, Carbery Group
Sara Neame, lead for global sustainability communications strategy and delivery, Givaudan
Moderated by Tanya Richard, COO and Head of Stakeholder Engagement & Communications at Innovation Forum

The need for credible, honest, and authentic communication is reshaping the role of sustainability and comms professionals - and accelerating a need for shared learning.

This webinar marked the beginning of a new IF community focused on the evolving discipline of sustainability communications.

Our next session in January will turn to B2C sustainability communications, featuring Primark, Kantar and others. Register here.

If you want to join the community and be kept up-to-date on upcoming workshops and webinars, fill out your details here.