Survey: Transparency key to sustainability branding

When it comes to sustainability goals, the worst thing a company can do is to make promises it can’t keep.

That’s according to a survey released this week of nearly 300 members of Sustainable Industries’ audience, conducted by the Sustainable Branding Collaborative, a Portland-based firm.

Almost 80 percent of those surveyed said it is worse for a business to fail to deliver on its sustainability promises than it is to not make any such commitments at all. Respondents also said greenwashing, or making false or misleading environmental claims, is the business practice they would most like to eradicate.

“Business executives committed to sustainability loathe greenwashing and value integrity,” Rich Bruer, a partner in the Sustainable Branding Collaborative, said in a statement.

To avoid the pitfalls of greenwashing, survey respondents recommended that companies measure and verify their sustainability claims, preferably seeking third-party certification, and be transparent about their progress. Also, businesses should solidify their sustainability goals and practices before making them a part of their external branding strategy, respondents said.

Among the survey’s other findings:

• 83 percent of respondents said sustainable development will play a bigger role in the U.S. economy in the next five years, thanks to growing consumer awareness and increasing momentum from businesses, including large companies.
• 73 percent said sustainability investments deliver positive returns.
• 59 percent said sustainability is key to their business’ success.
• 53 percent said branding practices shouldn’t be different for sustainability-focused companies.

Download the full survey results here.