Greenwashers, Spin Doctors, and Storytellers: The Limits and Potential of Sustainability Communication
What goes into responsible and sustainable communication?
Franzisca Weder has spent the last 20 years investigating what characterizes good communication – “good” in the sense of communication that is responsible and sustainable. Following extensive research and many publications on corporate social responsibility (CSR), Professor Weder has increasingly turned her attention to the interplay between communication of, about, and for sustainability in her more recent work. A key principle underpinning both her research and consulting work is that sustainability must be deeply embedded within organizations. This requires:
Spaces for dialogue where organizations can discuss and renegotiate sustainability and the associated values on a continuous basis
Agents of change, such as sustainability and DEI officers, or in-house communication consultants, who create these spaces, keep sustainability narratives on the organizational agenda, and help embed them in organizational culture
The societal impact of sustainability communication research
“Sustainability communication is like a jigsaw puzzle: One piece might be a story about a proposed solution, another a report on a particular aspect of sustainability. Together, these reports, stories, and the emotions associated with potential solutions make sustainability a guiding principle for social, political, and individual action.” (Franzisca Weder)
Based on many years of research into our society’s overarching sustainability narratives, their representation in the media, and the strategic communication activities of companies seeking to tap into these narratives, Weder’s work has attracted considerable attention from academics and communication professionals alike.
Alongside her highly ranked academic publications, the societal impact of her research on sustainability communication is particularly significant. Her work has had an impact in three main areas:
The media: Franzisca Weder has been examining climate change communication and the role of the media in the social and ecological transformation for many years. She contributes articles to the daily “Der Standard” and engages the public through several online forums and social media channels, including the Klimakultur blog, #iSustain on Facebook, and the “SoundslikeSustainability” webinar series on Spotify and YouTube).
Communication consulting: Through her lectures, consulting work, and seminars for organizations including the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO) and Bonus Gruppe’s ethics advisory board, Weder provides valuable guidance to communication professionals. Her recently published volume “Praxishandbuch Nachhaltigkeitskommunikation” has further strengthened her influence on the communication sector in German-speaking countries and beyond, for instance in Australia.
The professional field of sustainability management: In a large-scale research project, Franzisca Weder has explored the rapidly evolving professional field of sustainability management. Her research has not only identified a growing field of work with job opportunities that are particularly relevant to WU students, but it has also made clear that sustainability management cannot succeed without professional communication – and vice versa. Without this cross-pollination, sustainability communication risks becoming little more than hot air, degenerating into greenwashing or spin doctoring seeking to reframe the growth narrative in a positive light. Against this backdrop, Weder has built up a network of experts that allows students in the Master’s Program in Business Communication to become part of the professional community. Bachelor’s students specializing in International Business Communication also have the opportunity to build valuable connections with high-profile guest lecturers.
How can universities train future…
“The shift from communicating sustainability to communicating about sustainability is long overdue. Instead of engaging in ‘window dressing’ by merely sugarcoating a company’s public image, organizations today need to report clearly and transparently to external audiences while using internal communications to cultivate sustainability as a guiding principle for action.” (Franzisca Weder)
Key Facts
Department of Business Communication, Institute for Strategic Organizational Communication
Other WU researchers involved: Julia Stranzl (internal sustainability communication), Florentina Höhs (energy communication), Berend Barkela (science and environmental communication), and Zenon Hanappi (sports, culture, and sustainability)
Start and duration: Ongoing development of a research excellence cluster on sustainability communication for the past 10 years
