Is the language of sustainability getting in the way? What is the role marketing & PR play in promoting sustainability? What are the benefits & challenges of telling your green story? How do you avoid greenwashing?

1. Promoting
SUSTAINABILITY
& Avoiding
GREENWASHING
Webinar
March 21, 2017
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EST
Organized by Niagara Sustainability Initiative
Presented by Laura Dunkley

2. • Language of Sustainability
• Marketing vs. Public Relations
• Benefits
• Challenges & Risks
• How to Be Effective
• Tips | Telling your Story
• Success Stories
Promoting SUSTAINABILITY
& Avoiding GREENWASHING
OVERVIEW

3. LANGUAGE OF
SUSTAINABILITY

5. GHG Emissions
Carbon Offsets
Carbon Footprint
Circular Economy
Cradle-to-Cradle
Fair
Trade
LEED certified
Organic
Ethically Sourced
Environmentally Friendly COMPOSTING
REMANUFACTURED

6. Sustainability means
meeting our own needs
without compromising the
ability of future generations
to meet their own needs.
• Social
• Economic
• Environmental

7. Greenwashing is a form of
corporate misrepresentation where
a company will present a green
public image and publicize green
initiatives that are false or
misleading.

8. Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR)
The responsibility of an organization
for the impacts of its decisions and
activities on society and the
environment, through transparent
and ethical behaviour.
Ref: https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/csr-rse.nsf/eng/h_rs00599.html#s1.2

9. MARKETING vs. PUBLIC
RELATIONS

10. MARKETING
Marketing is the activity, set of
institutions, and processes for
creating, communicating,
delivering, and exchanging
offerings that have value for
customers, clients, partners, and
society at large.*
• Brand Development
• Sales Support
• Lead Generation
• Promotion
*American Marketing Society (July, 2013) - https://www.ama.org/AboutAMA/Pages/Definition-of-Marketing.aspx

11. PUBLIC
RELATIONS
Public relations is a strategic
communication process that
builds mutually beneficial
relationships between
organizations and their publics.*
• Crisis Communication
• Reputation Management
• Stakeholder Relationships
• Corporate Social
Responsibility
media
*American Marketing Society (July, 2013) -
https://www.ama.org/AboutAMA/Pages/Definition
-of-Marketing.aspx

12. INTERNAL
COMMUNICATIONS
mediaInternal communications (IC) is
the function responsible for
effective communications among
participants within
an organization.
• Team Building
• Collaboration
• Culture
• Education
• Policies/Procedures
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_communications /

13. • MARKETING • PUBLIC RELATIONS • INTERNAL
COMMUNICATIONS
BUSINESS
GOALS
• Revenue
• Retention
• Growth
• Profitability
• Reputation
COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
• AUDIENCE • WHAT • HOW • TIMELINE
• COST • EVALUATION

14. BENEFITS, CHALLENGES
& RISKS

15. • Champions
• Collaboration
• Creation (Projects)
• Competitive
• Culture
• Compliant
• Creative/Innovative
• Crisis
WHY Tell
your Green
Story?

16. CHALLENGES
• Time
• Budget
• Information
• How to share it
• Who to tell
• What to
measure
WHY don’t
we tell our
story?

17. RISKS & MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
• Approval
• Revenue
• Employees
• Volunteers/Donations
• Earned Media
• Investments

18. PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY
Best Practices

19. • Improve
Effectiveness
• Avoid Greenwashing
• Build Sustainable
Brand
• Capture
Opportunities
HOW TO
PROMOTE
SUSTAINABILIT
Y
and

20. HOW TO PROMOTE
SUSTAINABILITY
• Clear Goals,
Vision +
Actionable Plan
(Communication)
• Who is the
Expert?
• Be Authentic
• Be Transparent
• Know your Facts
• Stick to the Facts

21. • Certify
• Be Proactive
• Educate
• Engage the Team
• Celebrate
Successes
• Connect the Dots

22. • Know the
Regulations &
Laws
Walmart has agreed to pay $1
million to settle greenwashing
claims that allege the nation’s
largest retailer sold plastic
products that were
misleadingly labeled
“biodegradable” or
“compostable” in violation of
California law.
https://www.environmentalleader.com
/2017/02/greenwashing-costing-
walmart-1-million/

23. Regulations & Laws (cont’d)
In Canada
Environmental claims:
A guide for industry
and advertisers
3.5 Objective of CAN/CSA-ISO
14021
CAN/CSA-ISO 14021 is intended to
harmonize the use of terms and
symbols that claimants use in
making self-declared environmental
claims.
Available:
http://niagarasustainability.org/resources/

24. • Quality should
never come at the
cost of
sustainability
“Make the best product,
cause no unnecessary
harm, and use business
to inspire and implement
solutions to the
environmental crisis.”
Patagonia Mission
Statement

25. PROMOTING
SUSTAINABILITY
How to Tell Your
Story

26. http://www.patagonia.com/blog/2016/11/record-breaking-black-friday-sales-to-benefit-the-planet/

27. https://www.dirtt.net/sustainabili
ty/how-were-sustainable

28. https://www.interface.com/CA/en-CA/about/index

29. https://www.interface.com/CA/en-CA/about/index/A-Foundation-for-Beautiful-Thinking-
en_CA?_ga=1.260225677.1891562008.1489491526

30. https://beatties.com/sustainability-promise/

31. https://brocku.ca/environmental-sustainability-research-centre

32. Alphacoms - French Communications Agency - To communicate around their Sustainability culture and
demonstrate their innovation in communication, they decided to present their 2013 CSR report as an online
virtual tour of their offices where is organized a gigantic…banana hunt! Yes, you’ve read it correctly. A
banana hunt.

33. Clim’Way
Create a climate plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
http://climway.cap-sciences.net/us/index.php
GAMES

34. Sea Life Aquarium
This aquarium in London, England offers augmented reality to enhance
experience of visitors without the need to capture real animals
http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aquarium-attraction
AUGMENTEDREALITY

35. Infographic

36. Infographic

38. KEY
TAKEAWAYS
• Know your Audience!
• Goals, Vision + Plan
• Stick to the Facts
• Keep the Message Simple
• Do it, Live it, Tell it
• Learn & Adapt
• Celebrate Success
• Be Creative! Ask for Help
“Alone we can do so little, together we
can do so much.” – Helen Keller

39. Niagara Sustainability Initiative (NSI) is a
non-profit organization, which acts as a catalyst
for Niagara’s businesses, municipalities and
organizations to meet its present needs without
compromising those of future generations.
NSI’s primary service offering is The Carbon
Project. Carbon Project Members represent
some of Niagara’s most environmentally
conscious organizations. The program gives
members the tools to set targets, make changes
as well as measure and track their sustainability
progress over time.
Contact us
info@niagarasustainability.org
289-786-0970 @SustainNiagara
NiagaraSustainability.org
Presented by
Laura Dunkley is a
communications strategist
with expertise in the area of
digital marketing, public
relations, and social media.
Offering expertise in wellness
and sustainability, she assists
organizations develop
communications best
practice.
laura@lauradunkley.com
289-821-4651
@lauraldunkley
LauraDunkley.com

40. REFERENCES
• Slide 13 – Strategic Communications – Services Available http://www.lauradunkley.com/site/l-
dunkley-communications-services-strategic-communications
• Slide 15 Creative & Innovative Leaders https://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2013/10/27/how-
sustainability-leadership-drives-innovation
• Slide 15 – Crisis http://www.lauradunkley.com/site/blog/2013/09/01/business-guide-to-reputation-
management
• Slide 26 – Patagonia Black Friday 2016 - http://www.patagonia.com/blog/2016/11/record-breaking-
black-friday-sales-to-benefit-the-planet/
• [ Related Article ] 7 Simple Communication Techniques Inspired by Patagonia -
http://www.lauradunkley.com/site/blog/2017/02/20/7-simple-communication-techniques-inspired-by-
patagonia
• Slide 32 – Alphacoms CSR Report –Read more
https://www.2degreesnetwork.com/groups/2degrees-community/resources/this-may-be-most-original-
and-entertaining-csr-report-youve-ever-read/
• Slide 35 – Envirotech Office | Waste Not, Want Not – Waste Audit [Infographic]
http://www.envirotechoffice.com/waste-not-want-not-audit-review/
• Slide 37 – Sustainability Sketchnote / Infographic + more tips on how to promote sustainability
http://www.lauradunkley.com/site/blog/2017/03/20/creative-ways-to-promote-sustainability-infographic