Sustainability is my problem, it should be yours too

A colleague recently asked me what motivated me to do a course on sustainability communications and I replied quickly, and without much reflection, “either the world will burn up completely in my lifetime and we’ll all die, or it won’t, and we’re all going to need to keep fighting for a more sustainable future, in which case I want to help.” 

I am a pragmatist, and while there are no guarantees the work that I do in communicating on better sustainability standards in the built and natural environment will be enough to make a difference, I am certain that no good will be done from not trying. 

I have been working in public relations for six years now, beginning in a local charity, then the national gambling industry regulator, and now the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a global membership body. I’ve been steadily scaling up in scope and searching for my ‘purpose’ within the quickly changing profession. 

And never one to shy away from a challenge, I’ve chosen sustainability as that purpose. 

In January 2023, the Competition and Markets Authority made another announcement on cracking down on so-called greenwashing (exaggerating your green credentials), this time on household items such as food and drink. It’s an exciting and challenging time to be the ‘green voice’ of an organisation. 

As part of the first cohort to do the CIPR Specialist Diploma in Sustainability Communications, I didn’t know what to expect, other than it would be a lot of hard work and stretch muscles that have mostly lay dormant since I left university in 2016, (Harvard referencing who?). 

The course started in September and runs until April. It consists of a two-hour teaching session every other week from our tutor, Anne-Marie Lacey, who is delivering the course online at Nesma marketing school. Fortunately, Anne-Marie is not only an experienced PR practitioner but also an experienced University lecturer and is able to simplify even the most complicated of concepts. 

I have been astounded so far by the breadth of the course content. Here is just a selection of what we have covered:

• Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental social and governance responsibilities (ESG) – and debating their necessity and applicability into modern business.
   
• Ethics, for example if an organisation puts its sustainability strategy front and centre, and consequently their sales/media hits/mailing lists improve, are they doing it for the right reasons, or is it just PR dressed as purpose? This is great preparation for a potential Chartership assessment debate! 
   
• Applying international best practice. Some key models we have learnt about are the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Principles for Responsible Management. These two models have been the most eye-opening as they are so wide-reaching, encompassing more than just climate change, such as promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, fair working policies, and creating meaningful partnerships for change. 

The main take-away from the first seven sessions is that if you think sustainability isn’t relevant to your role, you’re wrong. Since week one I have been able to bring what I’ve learnt into my work. Whether it’s launching a consultation for a global methodology for measuring carbon in the built environment, or co-creating our overall sustainability strategy, which will likely extend beyond communications. 

For the future, I hope that I will be able to continue to offer my knowledge in communicating on this topic to organisations in the built environment sector, as an industry which provides an essential service to all of us, but undoubtedly has a significant impact on carbon emissions. I will continue to bring my pragmatism, and my optimism to my work, for as long as the industry will have me!

Tara Sullivan is a global communications executive at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Based in the West Midlands, she is a member for the CIPR Midlands Committee, and a passionate advocate for sustainability.

The CIPR Specialist Diploma (Sustainability Communications) is designed for both generalist professionals who wish to enhance their knowledge of the discipline and for those who are, or aim to become, responsible for communicating the sustainability agenda within their organisation. The syllabus is taught and assessed at the same level as a postgraduate degree. Find out more and register your interest.