We have to say it: your sustainability report is probably putting people to sleep. You need to know how to communicate sustainability data to stakeholders effectively, but right now your important sustainability progress is probably lost in technical jargon.

You’ve got important sustainability progress to share, but “we reduced emissions by 23%” doesn’t exactly inspire action. Numbers like “15,000 tonnes of CO₂” might impress your auditor, but they mean nothing to employees, customers, or investors.

The little understood fact is: reporting and communicating are not the same. Your annual sustainability report has to follow frameworks, include technical data, and satisfy regulators. But sustainability communication? That’s about creating dialogue, inspiring action, and actually connecting with people. Thankfully the technical and boring nature of CSRD has helped folks understand this better recently. 

And let’s be clear—communication isn’t the same as marketing either. Sustainability marketing promotes your green credentials to sell products. Communication shares honest progress (including setbacks) to build trust. One risks greenwashing, the other builds credibility. For a deeper dive on avoiding greenwashing in marketing, check this guide for brands and marketers.

Why sustainability communication matters for small businesses

Before we dive into the how, let’s talk about the why. Good sustainability communication helps SMEs:

Win and keep customers: More businesses are choosing suppliers based on environmental credentials. Clear communication helps you stand out. But remember—only invest time here if your customers actually ask about sustainability. If they don’t, focus on the basics first.

Attract talent: Younger employees want to work for companies that share their values. But they need to understand what you’re actually doing.

Access funding: Banks and investors increasingly consider ESG performance. Making your progress clear and relatable can open doors.

Build trust locally: Communities support businesses they understand. When neighbors know you’re reducing emissions, not just claiming to, it really matters.

Drive internal change: Employees can’t help with goals they don’t understand. Clear communication turns your team into sustainability champions.

But here’s what many SMEs miss: internal and external communication need different approaches.

Quick note: Internal vs. external sustainability communication

External communication is often about achievements and progress—what you’ve already done. It builds reputation and trust with customers, investors, and communities.

Internal communication should focus on what comes next—how employees can contribute. Your team doesn’t just need to know you reduced energy by 20%. They need to know that leaving monitors on standby wastes £50/month, or that choosing video calls over driving to meetings is why you’re hitting targets.

Small businesses have an advantage here: you can have real conversations. While big companies send corporate emails, you can chat at the coffee machine about why you’re switching to renewable energy or how the new heating controls actually work. Use it.

The same data, different angles:

• External: “Our switch to renewable energy prevents 2,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually—like taking 400 cars off local roads”
• Internal: “Since we switched to renewable energy, we’re preventing emissions equal to 400 cars. But did you know leaving your computer on overnight still uses grid power? Shutting down saves £3 per desk per month and helps us hit our targets…”

Here’s how to communicate sustainability data to stakeholders in a way that actually sticks.

Why your sustainability communication to stakeholders isn’t working

Most companies still fail at ESG communication because they confuse it with reporting. They take their GRI-compliant sustainability report—designed for auditors and compliance teams—and expect it to inspire employees or impress customers.

That’s like reading tax code at a dinner party. (Which, if you’re a law firm, maybe you do…but still)

Reporting is one-way and technical: It’s about disclosure, compliance, and covering your regulatory bases. It needs to be precise, comprehensive, and auditable.

Communication is two-way and human: It’s about engagement, understanding, and driving behavior change. It needs to be relatable, memorable, and actionable.

Marketing is one-way and promotional: It’s about selling services and products, or enhancing brand image. The danger? When marketing runs ahead of reality, you get greenwashing.

Good sustainability communication includes the messy bits—the goals you missed, the challenges you’re facing, the help you need. Marketing tends to polish everything until it shines. Guess which one stakeholders actually trust?

When you say “We emitted 15,000 tonnes of CO₂ per person this year,” you’re reporting. When you say “That’s like taking 3,200 cars off the road,” you’re communicating. When you say “We’re the greenest in our industry!” without backing it up—that’s marketing, and probably greenwashing.

Unless you’re presenting to the CDP or filling out your GRI report, raw metrics are often communication killers.

The simple fix: Communicate sustainability data effectively using comparisons

Want to know how to communicate sustainability data to stakeholders effectively? Stop talking like a textbook and start having a conversation.

Good sustainability communication does three things reporting doesn’t:

1. Translates complexity into clarity (comparisons over calculations)
2. Invites feedback and questions (dialogue over disclosure)
3. Connects to stakeholder priorities (their concerns, not your metrics)

When you properly communicate sustainability data to stakeholders, you turn confusion into understanding.

Instead of: “We emitted 15,000 tonnes of CO₂ per person this year”

Try: “That’s like taking 3,200 cars off the road for a year”

See the difference? One is a forgettable number for your report. The other is something people can actually picture and discuss.

Free tool that does the work for you

You don’t have to come up with these comparisons yourself. The EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator is really helpful for this.

Just enter your emissions data and it gives you loads of different comparisons:

• Homes powered for a year
• Miles driven by an average car
• Smartphones charged
• Acres of forest preserved
• Garbage trucks of waste recycled

Pick the ones that make sense for your audience. Tech company? Use the smartphone metric. Local business? Stick with homes and cars.

Why this approach to sustainability communication works

Using relatable comparisons makes sense for a few reasons:

Instant understanding: No one needs a degree to understand “500 homes powered”

Emotional connection: “Cars off the road” hits differently than “tonnes of CO₂”

Better recall: Stories stick; spreadsheets don’t

Inclusive communication: Makes sustainability accessible to all stakeholders, not just experts

Drives action: When people understand impact, they’re more likely to support your goals

5 practical tips for communicating sustainability data to stakeholders effectively

1. Match comparisons to your audience

• External stakeholders:
  • Customers: Household impacts (homes, cars, phones)
  • Investors: Efficiency gains and cost savings
  • Community: Local landmarks or city-scale comparisons
• Internal stakeholders:
  • Employees: Workplace examples (office energy, commutes, daily choices)
  • Link impacts to specific behaviors they can change
  • Show how their department contributes to overall goals

2. Layer, don’t replace

Your formal reports still need the technical data—that’s non-negotiable for compliance. But your communications should lead with the story:

In your report: “Scope 1 and 2 emissions: 5,000 tCO₂e reduction YoY”

In your communication: “We reduced emissions by 5,000 tonnes this year—enough to power 600 homes—bringing us 20% closer to our net-zero target. Here’s how we did it, and here’s what you can do to help…”

Notice that last part? Communication invites participation. Reports just state facts.

3. Be visual

Numbers are forgettable. Pictures aren’t. Even simple infographics with basic icons (like a house symbol = homes powered) can really help people understand what you’re talking about.

Try Canva’s sustainability templates for quick infographics. For climate data specifically, Show Your Stripes creates powerful visual representations of temperature changes that anyone can understand.

4. Stay consistent

Pick 2-3 comparison types and stick with them year over year. This helps stakeholders track progress: “Last year we saved enough energy to power 400 homes. This year: 600 homes.”

5. Test your messages

What works for one company might flop for another. Try different comparisons in internal newsletters or social posts. See what gets people talking. If nobody engages, try something else—don’t waste time on communications that don’t connect.

Common mistakes when communicating sustainability data

Using only positive spins: If your emissions went up, just say so clearly. Use comparisons to explain why: “Our emissions increased by 2,000 tonnes as we opened two new facilities—equivalent to adding 400 cars to the road. Here’s how we’re reducing emissions across our existing operations to get back on track by 2027…”

Confusing communication with marketing: Your sustainability communication should be honest, not just impressive. Share challenges alongside achievements. If customers only hear good news, they’ll smell greenwashing—even if your progress is real.

Getting too creative: Stick to established calculators like the EPA’s. Making up weird comparisons like “emissions equivalent to 47 million hamsters running on wheels” might be memorable, but it doesn’t really help anyone.

Forgetting the “so what”: Always connect the comparison back to real impact: “Taking 500 cars off the road means cleaner air for our community and actual progress toward our science-based targets. This is from real changes in how we operate—not just buying carbon credits to cancel out our emissions.”

Tools and resources for better sustainability communication

Beyond the EPA calculator, consider these resources:

• Global Carbon Atlas for country comparisons
• Climate Watch for sector benchmarks
• Your local utility company (they often have regional comparisons)
• Industry associations for sector-specific examples

Start communicating sustainability data effectively today

Here’s your homework: Take one sustainability metric from your latest report or slide deck. Run it through the EPA calculator. Find three different ways to express it. Test them with a colleague who doesn’t work in sustainability.

Which one made them actually care? Which one sparked questions? Which one led to ideas for improvement?

That’s your winner—because it turned reporting into communication.

Remember: How you communicate sustainability data to stakeholders matters as much as the data itself. Your report can be perfect for compliance, but if your communication doesn’t connect, you’re missing the chance to create real change.

Make it relatable, make it visual, make it conversational—and most importantly, make it a dialogue, not a monologue.