Key takeaways
- To achieve a wider viewers, corporations have to keep away from jargon-heavy water stewardship phrases.
- Credible descriptions for water stewardship targets succeed when water is linked to local weather, nature and folks.
- Compelling tales may also help stakeholders perceive why water points and applications matter to them.
If the phrases “water optimistic” and “nature optimistic” depart you confused, you’re not alone. To enhance water stewardship and communications across the subject, corporations have to keep away from technical or jargon-heavy phrases that aren’t partaking for many audiences.
In a latest survey of greater than 350 water and sustainability specialists, Trellis information accomplice GlobeScan, at the side of the World Wildlife Basis, discovered essentially the most significant and credible descriptions for water stewardship targets are:
- “restoration of nature and ecosystems” (49%)
- “science-based” (42%)
- “safety of rivers, lakes, and wetlands” (40%)
In distinction, specialists take into account “water optimistic,” “nature optimistic,” and “replenish” to be the least significant and credible of the choices introduced. Equally, GlobeScan’s public opinion analysis exhibits individuals rank “defend rivers, lakes, and different water-based habitat/nature” a lot larger than “use much less water in operations and provide chains” when it comes to a very powerful water-related objectives for an environmentally-responsible firm.
The analysis factors to 3 causes for low ranges of consciousness and engagement associated to corporations’ water stewardship actions:
- Most corporations don’t speak about water fairly often or by way of channels that attain many stakeholders
- Water-related communications normally put a heavy emphasis on information and methodologies like “water optimistic” and “replenish” that aren’t very relatable or compelling for many stakeholders
- Company communications on water focus an excessive amount of on the amount/effectivity of water whereas air pollution or ecosystem restoration is extra more likely to achieve traction with the general public
What this implies
Going ahead, corporations can enhance transparency and disclosure by speaking in methods which can be extra related, tangible and interesting by linking water to local weather, nature and folks. Organizations can spotlight the vital ways in which water hyperlinks, shapes and contributes to highly effective, nature-based options for local weather resilience, adaptation and mitigation. The general public strongly associates water with nature and conservation, and linking it to nature affords alternatives for restoration, progress and optimistic tales. Extra compelling company communications on water stewardship may also help stakeholders perceive why points and applications matter to them and the way each the corporate and shoppers stand to profit from company actions and investments.
Primarily based on a survey of 352 water and sustainability specialists throughout 63 nations and territories carried out in Nov.-Dec. 2024.