From climate delay to climate action: Closing the 'say-do' gap in sustainable marketing

The UN recognised the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. However, that right is under threat. The ‘Keep 1.5 alive’ rallying cry of COP26 (aiming to limit global warming to 1.5%) is in danger, and so are we. Extreme climate events, food security challenges, water supply issues, forced migration and economic impact are all staring us in the face.

The science is clear—we have related biodiversity and climate emergencies and the acceleration of both calls for urgent action. But change isn’t swift. Multiple studies show that sustainability matters to Australians but doesn’t always translate to day-to-day consumer decisions (commonly known as the ‘say-do gap’).

From a business perspective, many organisations strive for progress but admit perfection is a long way off. Author and climatologist Michael Mann further suggests that, when faced with the undeniable weight of scientific evidence on the climate crisis, bad actors in business have turned to “climate delay as the new form of climate denial.”

So, what role does marketing have in all this? Despite the justified negativity around greenwashing, it has an important one. But we will need all our qualities to take on this monumental challenge.

Marketers can take complex issues around sustainability and translate them into compelling strategies. They have empathy for key stakeholders. Deep understanding of culture. Knowledge of the competitor landscape, activist community and retail partners. Marketing is not only the voice of the consumer; it must also speak the language of business. The best ‘full mix’ marketers understand and influence the business case for sustainability with the knowledge to discuss everything from the impact of stranded assets to values-based investments. This ability to combine business acumen with market orientation has the potential to influence a commercial model “able to continue over a period of time,” the classic definition of sustainability.

Take Silver Fern Farms in New Zealand, for example. They strive to be the world's most sustainable and grass-fed red meat company and are taking a leadership role in a challenged category—red meat. Their understanding of changing tastes and expectations has shaped their mission to be the world’s most trusted, nature-positive food brand, from measuring the sequestration potential of the vegetation on farms, optimising farm environments to capture carbon better and increase biodiversity; to launching beef that is fully certified as Net Carbon Zero by Toitū Envirocare. This approach, and their recent profits, could be a glimpse of a future for that category.

Since Silver Fern Farms started its Sustainability Action Plan and carbon reporting journey in 2018, it has successfully achieved the Toitu Environmark Diamond Certification, the highest New Zealand-based environmental certification.

But there is arguably a characteristic of exceptional marketers that is even more valuable as we build a sustainable future. Marketing has decades of knowledge gained from influencing people’s voting, buying, saving, drinking, donating, driving, and more. So whether you’re a student of Andreasen or Fogg or regularly ponder the Ostrich Effect, one thing is clear; the power of creativity to change behaviour at scale is a vital ingredient in tackling humanity’s biggest challenges.

Fashion brands like l’Estrange and Ganni are motivating consumers by combining style (a primary driver of choice) and sustainability in fresh ways; WWF has tapped into national identity to recruit support for Australia’s largest regeneration project; and brands in a variety of categories are using choice architecture too, amongst other things, present the sustainable choice as the default choice (from towels in hotels to energy options).       

This isn’t just about a moral obligation; it’s about gaining competitive advantage with your consumers. Visionary businesses create the sustainable model of the future, publicly advocate for industry change, support a change in legislation, and extend that behavioural change to closing the ‘say-do’ gap with consumers. For those who succeed, there is the chance to break ranks from competitors, put slower players with legacy models under pressure and be rewarded financially.

UN special envoy on climate action Mark Carney famously called net zero the greatest commercial opportunity of our time. For marketing, we must seize what is the greatest behaviour-change opportunity in a generation.

Lee Simpson is the CEO of Australia-based WhiteGrey.