Mind your language: The impact of words in sustainability
Working in sustainability requires clear communication and careful choice of words. Terminology can be incredibly powerful - both in the words we choose to include and those we omit. As the saying goes, the standards you walk by are the standards you accept. The same principle applies to the language we use in sustainability.
Cut the wishful words
If you're working on a sustainability or climate action plan, here's my strongest recommendation: remove the wishy-washy terminology from your action plans. Let's call out some of these vague words:
"Investigate"
"Explore"
"Seek to"
"Consider"
"Look into"
"Endeavour to"
When these words appear in plans or policies without specific timelines or clear next steps, they can become tools for greenwashing. This is especially concerning in government or corporate communications, where time-poor community members and consumers might see these terms and believe meaningful action is being taken. In reality, real action can get lost in this sea of non-committal language.
However, let's be clear: these terms aren't inherently problematic. They can have their place in genuine continuous improvement processes. For instance, when we "review" completed projects or "analyse" our results to learn and improve, that's valuable work. The issue arises when these words replace concrete commitments or serve as indefinite delay tactics.
The key difference lies in context and intent.
Being SMART about it
Instead of opaque promises, let's make our commitments SMART:
Specific: Clear about what will be done
Measurable: Quantifiable outcomes
Achievable: Within our capability
Relevant: Aligned with our goals
Time-bound: Clear deadlines
For example: Instead of: "We will explore opportunities to reduce energy consumption" Write: "We will reduce electricity consumption by 15% by December 2026 through LED lighting and HVAC upgrades".
Materiality matters
If being SMART feels overwhelming, start by focusing on what's material. Look at your basic ISO 14001 aspects and impacts assessment. If that's too complex, simply evaluate the effort versus impact of any action:
High Impact, Low Effort: Do these first
High Impact, High Effort: Plan these carefully
Low Impact, Low Effort: Nice to have
Low Impact, High Effort: Reconsider these
Being an impactful practitioner
Effective sustainability practitioners focus on material impacts and measurable outcomes. This means:
Setting clear, quantifiable targets
Establishing specific timelines
Assigning clear responsibility
Measuring and reporting progress
Focusing on high-impact actions first
Remember, vague language often masks a lack of genuine commitment. As sustainability professionals, we need to push for clarity and specificity. Our role isn't to make things sound good - it's to make things better.
The next time you're reviewing or writing sustainability commitments, challenge yourself to remove any wish-wash. Be specific about what will be done, by whom, and by when. That's how we move from greenwash to genuine action.
Together, we can move from well-intentioned words to meaningful action, creating positive change for our communities and environment.