Sustainability content no longer serves a niche audience, it now speaks to nearly every stakeholder group.
Investors want to see credibility and measurable progress, with transparent data and clear alignment to frameworks.
Employees and candidates explore sustainability sections to gauge company culture, values, and purpose.
Customers and the public look for authenticity, empathy, and proof that actions match words.
Regulators and government expect compliance-focused, verified disclosures.
And increasingly, there’s a new “stakeholder” to consider - AI search.
AI is rapidly changing how people find and consume sustainability information. “Clickless” searches and generative AI platforms are transforming how users and algorithms discover, summarise, and interpret company data.
AI is now an integral part of the stakeholder ecosystem.
Google’s AI-generated search results have doubled this year, and ChatGPT alone processes around 2 billion prompts per day. Although traditional search still dominates, companies must now consider how their content is being read and interpreted by AI systems.
To stay visible and authoritative in this new environment, these are the several best practices:
Use plain, conversational language. Write like you’re answering a question clearly and directly. Avoid jargon and consider adding executive summaries at the top of pages.
Ensure authoritative and verified content. Cite frameworks, link to assurance statements, and be transparent about sources.
Stay consistent across all channels. Keep your website, reports, and social content aligned. Inconsistencies weaken authority.
Update content regularly. Tagging, schema markups, and structured data all help AI systems interpret your content accurately.
Build backlinks and credibility. Strong internal and external linking boosts both SEO and AI discoverability.
Sustainability communications must go beyond a single report or web page.
One page and a PDF aren’t enough anymore. You need a constellation of communications, an ecosystem of connected channels that reach and resonate with different stakeholders.
Each channel has a specific purpose:
Websites act as authoritative sources.
Social media humanises sustainability and builds community.
Press releases and case studies showcase progress and outcomes.
Reports and data hubs provide depth and validation.
This approach only works when underpinned by a strong sustainability narrative - one that ties all activity together through coherent themes and messages.
A well-defined sustainability narrative helps organisations communicate authentically and strategically. It should:
Tie together activities under clear, purpose-led themes.
Prioritise what matters most, highlighting material issues and real impact.
Be anchored in business strategy, not disconnected initiatives.
Build credibility through context, data, and evidence.
This narrative acts as a north star - giving coherence to all communication efforts across channels and audiences.
Storytelling is one of the most effective tools for communicating sustainability. Sustainability is an inherently human topic, and storytelling connects with both emotion and reason.
Research shows that while people retain around 10% of data shared as facts, they remember up to 75% when those facts are embedded in a story.
Storytelling doesn’t mean embellishment or fiction, it’s about framing real experiences in relatable ways. Using authentic language, grounding messages in real life, and weaving a logical story structure can make sustainability messages memorable and meaningful.
Sustainability lends itself to connecting with people on a human level. The right story helps your message stay with them long after they leave your site.
Best practices to strengthen sustainability website performance:
Align design and UX with the rest of your corporate site while tailoring navigation to sustainability users.
Adopt a mobile-first approach — not just for design, but for how content is structured and consumed.
Prioritise accessibility. It’s increasingly a regulatory requirement and improves AI search performance.
Leverage analytics to measure engagement and refine what’s working within the sustainability section.
Consider emerging tools like chatbots — conversational interfaces are becoming a key way users access sustainability data.
Three communication trends shaping the future of sustainability storytelling:
Authenticity and transparency — being honest about challenges as well as successes, rather than hiding behind evasive corporate language.
Human storytelling — surfacing the people behind initiatives to make sustainability more tangible.
Emotional connection — showing that sustainability makes a real difference to people’s lives.
Ultimately, it’s about showing that your plan makes a difference — and telling the story of that impact.
One of the biggest pitfalls, is burying key data in PDFs.
While PDFs are beginning to be indexed by AI, most AI-generated results still draw from HTML pages. If you want your sustainability data to be discoverable, it needs to live on your site.
Other pitfalls include data dumping without context, presenting tables and figures without narrative explanation, and inconsistency between reports, websites, and social media. Strong governance is key to maintaining alignment.
Four key takeaways for sustainability communicators:
Know your audience. Understand what different stakeholders need — from investors to AI systems — and cater to those needs.
Use your channels wisely. Share your story across multiple touchpoints, but tailor your approach to each.
Make content engaging and accessible. Keep it fresh, relevant, and easy to find.
Balance storytelling with substance. Combine evidence, human impact, and data to build trust.
Black Sun Global supports clients in strengthening their digital sustainability presence - from website structure and campaign strategy to analytics, performance reports, and digital development.
Stratton Craig helps organisations develop and refine sustainability narratives, write ESG reports, and craft content strategies that resonate across channels — ensuring every message is engaging, credible, and aligned with purpose.
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About Black Sun
Black Sun Global is a stakeholder advisory and engagement agency that's been driving transformation and positive change for ambitious brands for more than 20 years. With deep expertise in disclosure and reporting, ESG, sustainability, and digital engagement, we reshape how organisations connect with customers, investors, employees, and the wider world.
We are trusted partners to some of the most influential global organisations, sparking innovation and sustainable performance through our strategic insights, partnerships, and proprietary technologies.
As founders of the Positive Change Group, we are on a mission to create a new kind of stakeholder relations partner. Our world-class specialists work closely with executive leadership teams to protect reputations, inspire trust, and promote responsible business practices - building resilience and long-term value in a rapidly changing world.
For more information, please visit: www.blacksun-global.com
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