Sustainability Messaging 2025: Essential Trends for Business Communication ft. Lauren Scott (The Resilience Report)

[Host: Lauren Scott] 2025 has been a very dynamic year for professionals working in the sustainability space. While some markets feel particularly fragmented, others are charging ahead with important environmental progress, and while certain industries like banks are pulling out of sustainability alliances, we are seeing others like data centers pushing new frontiers when it comes to energy and water conservation.

So, it should come as no surprise that the marketing and communications landscape is also drastically changing when it comes to sustainability in 2025. While I have a previous episode that dives specifically into green claims, today’s episode is going to provide you with the key trends I have observed through conversations with our guests as well as my own research and experiences.

Together we will examine the evolving landscape of sustainability communications in 2025—and what it means for business leaders, communicators, and changemakers alike. From the decline of the “ESG” label to the growing demand for data-backed transparency, we’ll uncover the key trends driving a new era of corporate communications. We’ll discuss why the business case for sustainability is now front and center, how AI is enabling more personalized and compliant messaging, and why internal alignment and employee advocacy are critical to building credibility.

If you’re navigating sustainability strategy, reporting, or stakeholder engagement, this conversation will equip you with the insights you need to communicate with clarity, integrity, and impact.

So the first couple of trends are really around how we talk about sustainability.

Move Away from the "ESG" Label

The use of "ESG" in report titles is rapidly declining. Those of us in the space have been talking about this for a couple of years now, and recent stats around annual reports support this.

Only 6% of S&P 100 companies have used the term in their 2025 reports, down from 25% in 2024 and 40% in 2023. Companies are increasingly opting for terms like "sustainability" or "impact" to avoid political controversy, even as they maintain or expand their actual reporting on environmental and social issues.

What has been interesting to observed in speaking with sustainability contacts a major companies around the world is that, while many companies are "hushing" their ESG communications due to increased political and reputational scrutiny, almost everyone I have spoke to confirms that their companies are continuing internal efforts but simply reducing public emphasis on the ESG label. 

Business Value Over Ethical Narratives

Sustainability messaging is shifting from moral appeals to clear demonstrations of commercial value. No more “we do good because we are a good company with good people” – businesses must show why and how sustainability means something to them.

In 2025, companies must now articulate how sustainability drives business performance-such as cost savings, risk mitigation, and competitive advantage-rather than relying solely on “doing the right thing”.  This approach is proving to resonate more with leadership, investors, and B2B customers, making the business case for sustainability central to communications.

Transparency and Authenticity

Stakeholders now demand open, honest, and data-backed communication about sustainability efforts. No more fluffy statements: consumers and customers want the numbers.

The era of vague sustainability claims is over. In 2025, organizations must adopt radical transparency, leveraging verifiable data to substantiate their environmental and social initiatives. Stakeholders increasingly demand evidence-backed narratives, with 91% of consumers favoring brands that provide clear, measurable progress updates. For example, Nestlé’s blockchain platform enables consumers to trace product origins from farm to shelf, demonstrating how technology bridges the gap between promise and proof.

In addition (and this can be hard for us recovering perfectionists out there!) companies are expected to share not only successes but also challenges, setbacks, and lessons learned, fostering trust by being transparent about their journey rather than just their achievements. 

This trend is driven by regulations like the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which mandates detailed disclosures on emissions, supply chains, and governance. This includes regular, credible reporting aligned with global standards and a willingness to acknowledge areas for improvement.

Internal Alignment and Employee Advocacy

Effective sustainability communication now starts from within. Engaged and informed employees act as ambassadors, amplifying the company’s sustainability message externally. Internal buy-in-through training, transparent updates, and clear links between sustainability goals and daily work-is essential for authentic, unified messaging and for driving real change.

Employees are emerging as pivotal sustainability ambassadors. Forward-thinking firms like Salesforce and Microsoft empower staff to share personal stories about green initiatives on LinkedIn, blending professional and grassroots advocacy. This employee-led storytelling fosters authenticity, with 72% of job seekers prioritizing employers whose values align with their own.

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Now for a couple of trends that are more at the marcomm trend level, but that are absolutely being felt in the sustainability space:

Visual and Multimedia Storytelling 

Short-form video, infographics, and interactive digital experiences are becoming dominant formats for communicating sustainability. Visual storytelling simplifies complex topics and increases engagement, particularly on mobile devices and social platforms where audiences expect quick, impactful content. The demand for agile, high-quality multimedia continues to grow as audiences shift away from text-heavy reports.

Companies are now pairing quantitative metrics with human-centric storytelling, using infographics and case studies to make data relatable. In other words? Sustainability and marketing teams really need to come together to maximize reach and impact.

Personalization and Audience Segmentation 

Generic, one-size-fits-all communications are losing effectiveness. Companies are leveraging data and AI to tailor their sustainability messages to specific stakeholder groups-investors, customers, employees, and regulators-ensuring relevance and higher engagement. Individualized content, informed by audience insights, is now a key differentiator.

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing sustainability communications by enabling hyper-personalized messaging and streamlining compliance. AI tools analyze stakeholder preferences to tailor content, such as customizing ESG reports for investors versus employee newsletters. Moreover, AI mitigates the compliance burden faced by smaller firms. Automated systems cross-reference data against evolving standards like the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), reducing manual errors. 

Be careful though! Overreliance on AI risks homogenizing narratives -  and consumers are getting increasingly savvy to these generic messages.

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I hope today’s conversation gave you a clear view of where sustainability communications are headed in this back half of 2025—and how you and your organization can stay ahead of the curve. From shifting terminology and AI-driven personalization to the growing demand for radical transparency and employee advocacy, it’s clear that the future of sustainability messaging is all about clarity, credibility, and connection.