For the sustainability agenda to prosper, it is essential that significant behavioral changes occur.

According to the UN report “Our Common Future”, sustainable development is defined as the ability to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Therefore, it is urgent that we establish a new approach to carrying out almost all activities, aiming to promote sustainability.

It is essential to mitigate and repair the environmental and social damage caused by the economic development model that has been established globally. This requires profound changes in behavior at individual, organizational, political and social levels.

Neutralizing the negative impact

There are two main approaches to accomplishing this task. The first consists of imposing restrictions through command, control and punishment mechanisms, which can end up being costly and potentially cause undesirable side effects.

An additional approach is to promote changes in perceptions, values and organizational culture, in order to align with principles related to sustainability, such as environmental preservation, social equity, long-term vision and shared responsibility. These transformations are fundamental to creating a mindset aligned with these principles.

This type of behavioral change has significant and lasting potential, as it changes the way we make decisions. For this transformation to occur, communication plays a fundamental role. If the way we perceive the world directly influences our behavior, it is essential to highlight that the information and analysis we receive are the starting point of this very significant process.

Particularly nowadays, characterized by hyperconnectivity, activism and a growing demand for transparency, society is increasingly aware of the risks of fake news and information manipulation campaigns. Right now, we live in what I call the Age of Truth, a time where consistency and genuine engagement are key to building a solid reputation. There is no longer room to represent an image that does not correspond to reality. Popular wisdom has always stated that lies don’t last long.

The practice of greenwashing is also worrying. In this context, journalism plays a fundamental role in promoting sustainable development. We face major challenges in terms of education, engagement and behavioral change, which are already causing a notable shift in the importance attributed to this agenda by mainstream media outlets.

After all, what is ESG?

While primarily covering economics and business, we have seen the acronym ESG become widely used as a synonym for sustainability. However, it is important to highlight that this is not correct and this conceptual confusion can lead to delays in understanding the topics covered. The acronym represents a set of areas that organizations can manage to reduce their risks and seek more positive impacts, with the purpose of making the business more sustainable in the long term.

This agenda is very complex and covers several interrelated topics, and it is important to consider it as such. Superficiality in the approach can fuel unfounded criticism that ESG has no value, based on valid arguments, but little discussed to date. The agenda covered covers a wide range of complex topics, presenting possible exchanges between them, making the creation of “coherent guides” for investors and companies a challenge. In many cases, it is difficult to directly demonstrate the relationship between financial performance and good practice.

And there is great controversy regarding the criteria that may or may not be considered appropriate in assessing environmental, social and governance issues. Current assessment tools present significant differences from each other and, in some cases, can be manipulated. This is because they often measure indicators that do not accurately reflect the desired result to be achieved.

Evaluating the results

However, the resolution does not imply abandoning the ESG approach, but rather recognizing that this acronym is not a universal solution and seeking mechanisms that allow assessing the impact of these practices on business results, the environment and society. This task is certainly challenging. However, as Henry Louis Mencken mentioned in the last century, “for every complex problem there is a simple, elegant, and completely wrong solution.”

Accepting complexity is also an essential step for journalistic coverage and market analysis of sustainability journalism. It is encouraging to see that we are addressing this topic with increasing frequency. However, it is crucial that discussions deepen for a broader understanding. It is important to remember that the acronym ESG is not capable of resolving or summarizing all the necessary conversations we need to establish.

The criteria for determining journalistic success should not be restricted to search tools and limited keywords, creating a logic in which metrics override reality. The importance of social media is also fundamental in this context.

The connection between brands and opinion leaders occurs through the credibility and depth of the content, as well as through the connections established. Therefore, it is essential to create dedicated spaces, such as editorials, pages and columns, that address different aspects of the sustainable development agenda. This way, we can promote greater awareness and engagement on this important topic.

And it is essential that this content is produced by highly qualified professionals, with access to various sources of information that are relevant from a technical point of view. To have any possibility of achieving sustainable development, it is essential that society receives quality information to support its decisions. Are we ready to face this challenge?

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