Control or crisis? How climate change will be decided by communications

It appears that we live in a world of perpetual crisis. They move through the news cycle like a passing storm, replaced by the next event and many of us have become fatigued or matter-of-fact about their occurrence. This creates a significant risk, especially around climate change and sustainability. If we believe our customers, employees and stakeholders have become numb to a crisis it in turn leads to complacency, leaving our organisations vulnerable and exposed. 

As a definition of crisis, we can see it as a loss of control – events and circumstances moving ahead without your input or influence. If a situation remains within your control, it is an issue to manage. 

Is this true for climate change? Have we lost control? The debate can come down on both sides, but there is still time for businesses to make significant impact. However, we need to consider three areas to ensure it remains about issues management and not crisis management:

Map and communicate the path to net zero

Every business must establish a plan to achieve net zero and it must be core to its communications strategy. It will cover five key phases:

1. Commit to achieving net zero and define the principles for effective disclosure.
2. Set measurement criteria for all business functions.
3. Benchmark performance with industry peers.
4. Define the strategy to achieve net zero and set targets.
5. Implement the strategy to net zero.

Know where you are on each phase and design frameworks on what can be communicated to whom and when. Refrain from making claims that cannot be independently audited and are not part of the net zero strategy and always ensure that you are communicating your point of view and sharing learning for the betterment of the industry. Be humble when communicating; there will be much to learn about the net zero path. The solution will take many years and the strategy may change. This must be communicated without being defensive.  

Adapt to climate change

Climate change is here. Adverse weather conditions are affecting the way business is operating and we are seeing transport, communication and energy infrastructure succumb to mass disruption. We need to scenario plan what could happen and what we would do to protect our employees, customers and business continuity. It is no longer acceptable to be surprised by such events; they can be identified, planned and tested so that the plan can quickly be implemented when the event occurs, and driven by stakeholder communications. By being on the front foot, business continuity and reputation can be protected. 

Help your consumers on their path to net zero 

As we, in business, work towards net zero, so will our consumers and we need to support them on their journey. We need to communicate the footprint of our products and services transparently and as we break ground with new initiatives we need to be clear about the timelines for adopting them into our business. Do not create hope without contextualising and never use language that can confuse or defuse the underlying information. 

Furthermore, as our products are consumed, they will engender behaviours that may have consequential effects. For example, the decommissioning of a product, post-use, could have a significant impact on the environment if not done so in the correct way. Our responsibility is for the complete lifecycle, along with the behaviours of its users. 

By considering these three areas, it is possible to maintain control and avoid a crisis. It may feel that we are all living in a world of perpetual crisis. Still, if events and circumstances start moving ahead without your input or influence, the crisis for your organisation will be lasting and detrimental to your reputation.

Mike Evans is the co-managing director of strategic communications consultancy Herdwick Communications and a member of the CIPR.