Experts highlight the importance of the new CEBDS Guide aimed at journalists and advertisers on sustainability
Rio de Janeiro, June 8, 2020 – Transparency of data and information – especially regarding negative impacts and risks in their operations – is a key attribute to lend credibility to organizations’ sustainability narratives. This was the main point highlighted by the panelists at the Communication of Causes webinar, held today by the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), which marked the launch of the new CEBDS Communication and Sustainability Guide.
“First, the sustainability narrative must look within the organizations themselves. And Communication is strategic to promote internal engagement in relation to sustainability guidelines,” said Marina Grossi, president of CEBDS, at the opening of the webinar. On the other hand, external communication is essential for building reputation with stakeholders, customers, suppliers, governments, associations and others. “Communication of sustainability reveals that the company is increasingly the essence and extension of the territory where it is located,” said Paulo Nassar, CEO of Aberje (Brazilian Association of Business Communication).
In this context, 10 years after its first edition, the new Guide found that companies still have difficulty communicating their actions for and in sustainability in a practical, systematic and cliché-free way. When asked what score they would give, on a scale of 0 to 100, to how much they believe in companies' sustainability narratives, the journalists who responded to the survey that served as the basis for the new CEBDS Communication and Sustainability Guide gave an average score of 43.
“There is a clear mismatch between current business strategies aligned with the sustainability agenda and the journalistic coverage of business, when most journalists are unaware of what the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) are and what they are, for example,” explained Kelly Lima, Communications Manager at CEBDS.
On the part of companies, there are several cases companies that are at the forefront of this agenda, presenting good practices and occupying a space of reference by example. “We are living in a historic moment and we need to be sensitive to the issues that afflict society. In this sense, empathy must be at the center of communication actions with purpose”, said Germana Moura, partner at Approach Comunicação.
Leading the debate, journalist Flávia Oliveira, columnist for the newspaper O Globo and Globonews, said that more than ever it is necessary to include sustainability as a broader concept in journalistic coverage. “The pandemic has shifted the focus to the short term, to the emergency. But it is essential that these principles guide the post-pandemic restructuring processes,” she commented.
Participant in the debate, Juliana Calsa, Communications Manager at BRK Ambiental, described the project carried out by the sanitation company with a focus on women: www.mulheresesanamento.com.br. “Today, there are 15 million people in Brazil who do not have the basic means of washing their hands,” warned Juliana. Meanwhile, Heineken Brazil’s Senior Sustainability Manager, Ornella Guzzo, presented the company’s communication and engagement project focused on youth behavior and the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
In addition to the corporate vision, the webinar was attended by journalists Ricardo Voltolini, from the Ideia Sustentável platform, and Silvana Gontijo, from Planetapontocom. “People want more from companies than just services and products. They have to have a purpose, they have to include sustainability in the management, strategy and culture of the company”, highlighted Voltolini. “It is essential to have empathy, to think about the real meaning of being human with each other. Only then will causes become real proposals for transformation”, stated Silvana.
Upcoming agendas
The next webinar will take place this Tuesday (9), from 10 am to 11:30 am, and will be about Resilience and Innovation in Communication. The last one in the series will be held on Wednesday (10), and will discuss Risk and Reputation.
The Communication and Sustainability Guide is sponsored by Toyota, BRK Ambiental, CBA, Diversa, Ecolab, Heineken, Michelin, Eletrobras and the Federal Government, and supported by Aberje, Agência Lupa, Projeto Colabora and WayCarbon.
SERVICE: full schedule
09/06 – Resilience and Innovation – ENROLLMENT
OPENING: Marina Grossi, President of CEBDS, and Aberje
INSPIRATIONAL SPEECH: Laura Albuquerque, WayCarbon
THEME ORIENTATION: Karla Melo, Mint
DEBATE
Viviane Mansi – Regional Director of Communications and Sustainability at Toyota and President of the Toyota Foundation of Brazil
Andréia Coutinho – Communications Coordinator at the Climate and Society Institute
Orson Ledezma – CEO of Ecolab
Agostinho Vieira – Collaborate Project
MODERATION: Ana Carolina Amaral, journalist from Folha de S. Paulo
——————————————————————————————————-
10/06 – Risk and Reputation – ENROLLMENT
THEME ORIENTATION: Tatiana Maia Lins, founder of Makemake
CLOSING: Marina Grossi, president of CEBDS, and Aberje
DEBATE
Glauce Ferman – Michelin South America Brand and Communications Director
Lucia Casasanta – Director of Governance, Risks and Compliance at Eletrobras
Leandro Faria – CBA Sustainability Manager
Sonia Favaretto, Journalist and SDG Pioneer for the UN Global Compact
MODERATOR: Gilberto Scofield, Director of Agência Lupa
——————————————————————————————-
ABOUT CEBDS
The Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) is a non-profit civil association that promotes sustainable development through coordination with governments and civil society, in addition to disseminating the most current concepts and practices on the topic. Founded in 1997, it brings together around 60 of the largest business groups in the country, responsible for more than 1 million direct jobs. Represents the network of World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), which has almost 60 national and regional councils in 36 countries and 22 industrial sectors, as well as 200 business groups operating on all continents. More information: https://cebds.org/.
PRESS CONTACTS
eduardonunes@altercomunicacao.com.br | +55 21 99864.4245
Eduardo Nunes
debora@altercomunicacao.com.br | +55 21 98751-4902
Deborah Rolando
