Our editors’ perspectives on how to avoid the green backlash

Specialist editors from FT Longitude’s Climate and Natural Capital desk discuss emerging sustainability themes through a thought leadership lens.

At our recent sustainability thought leadership seminar, we unpacked how thought leadership helps marketers and brands engage business audiences with credible, research-backed insights amid scepticism towards ESG and superficial sustainability efforts. In this editorial deep dive, editors from our Climate and Natural Capital desk discuss how businesses can cut through the noise and help shape the debate around climate change. Here’s what they told us.

Our editors

5 takeaways for differentiated sustainability thought leadership

1. Your perspective on climate change is relevant even if your track record on sustainability isn’t perfect: thought leadership is about the future, not the past.
2. Identify an intersection of specific themes that you can speak to with authority: avoid the general and all-encompassing.
3. Foreground diverse voices in your ideation and research as well as in your content.
4. Don’t try to keep all of your stakeholders happy all of the time: it’s not possible, and it will just make your content bland.
5. Make room for positivity and innovation within the broader discussion about climate change, but don’t try to sugar-coat reality either.

The following Q&A was part of our recent sustainability event at our home at FT Longitude HQ in Bracken House, London.

Watch the full session – A sustainable story: How to avoid the green backlash and make a positive impact – including more practical insight from our campaign strategists and industry leaders on demand here.

Piers: Everyone wants to create research that resonates in the media, avoiding pitfalls like being teased for jargon or accused of greenwashing. One challenge businesses face is the broad, multifaceted nature of sustainability and climate change, which makes it easy to get lost. Laura, as someone who works with businesses in thought leadership, how can they navigate this?

Laura: The most important starting point is to define your niche and speak to your strengths. Clients often want to do a general report on sustainability, but that’s ineffective. You need to be specific and define your position. This means understanding what value you can add to the topic, focusing on trends, and having a clear purpose. For example, we worked on a campaign with a major technology firm, not typically seen as an authority on climate, but they positioned their story around how data and AI can accelerate the transition to net zero. This credible standpoint inspired change and demonstrated how to move beyond inaction.

Piers: Thank you, Laura. It’s essential to address big issues and provide practical guidance, even if it means having challenging conversations. Building on this, how can businesses approach thought leadership with different perspectives and angles?

Laura: Acknowledge that nobody is perfect in this space. Everyone has work to do, and your voice is valid even if you’re not perfect. You have a responsibility to influence the agenda by saying something bold. For credibility, be ambitious and acknowledge the complexities and challenges. Use robust data to back up your points and show concrete, material actions with clear takeaways. Case studies and diverse perspectives are important tools to demonstrate impact.

Piers: It’s also important to not lose sight of the business case for sustainability. Thought leadership, especially with long-term data investment, should be clear about its goals. Whether it’s appealing to investors, attracting talent, or driving business growth, understanding and addressing these motivations helps create more distinctive and targeted content.

Laura: Absolutely. We need to reframe the conversation around climate change and net zero from negative to positive. It’s not just about necessity or risks but about innovation and transformation. Encourage organisations to invest differently for the greater good and align across the business. Passion for climate change can make thought leadership a powerful tool to move the needle towards net zero.

Piers: Laura, you mentioned involving diverse voices. How can businesses ensure they are incorporating a variety of perspectives in their thought leadership content?

Laura: Bringing in diverse voices starts with ideation and research. Involve team members at different levels of the organisation, not just leadership. Junior team members often have unique insights and perspectives that can enrich your content. Additionally, seek external perspectives through interviews or collaborations with experts and stakeholders outside your organisation. This approach not only diversifies your content but also makes it more relatable and engaging to a wider audience.

Piers: That’s a great point. Moving on, how can businesses balance the need to address all stakeholders while avoiding overly bland content?

Laura: It’s crucial to accept that you can’t keep all stakeholders happy all the time. Trying to do so will dilute your message. Instead, focus on being clear and bold in your positions. Define your core audience and tailor your content to their needs and interests. While it’s important to be inclusive, your content should prioritise depth and relevance over trying to appeal to everyone. This will make your thought leadership more impactful and memorable.

Piers: You also mentioned the importance of positivity and innovation in the climate change discussion. How can businesses incorporate these elements without sugar-coating reality?

Laura: Positivity and innovation can be powerful drivers of engagement and change. Highlight success stories and innovative solutions that are making a real difference. However, it’s essential to balance this with an honest assessment of the challenges and realities. Avoid making overly optimistic claims that can undermine your credibility. Instead, present a balanced view that acknowledges the difficulties but also offers hope and inspiration for what can be achieved.

Piers: Finally, Laura, what practical steps can businesses take to start implementing these strategies in their thought leadership efforts?

Laura: Start by conducting a thorough audit of your current content to identify gaps and areas for improvement. Define your niche and develop a clear content strategy that aligns with your strengths and goals. Invest in robust data and research to support your messages. Engage diverse voices and perspectives throughout the content creation process. And importantly, be bold and clear in your messaging, focusing on providing value and insights to your audience. By following these steps, businesses can create thought leadership that truly resonates and drives the climate change conversation forward.

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These insights from our Climate and Natural Capital desk offer valuable guidance for businesses aiming to engage meaningfully in the climate change debate through thought leadership. For the latest media trends and emerging topics for business audiences, read our Intelligence with influence: Sustainability thought leadership trends here.

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If you’re interested in talking to one of our strategy experts to help determine how you can stand out in the crowded thought leadership market of sustainability, get in touch and one of the team will be in touch.

• Help your company find its unique position on sustainability
• Benchmark your current content against top performing sustainability campaigns
• Learn best practice on how to tell stories and engage your audience