Do companies really need to talk the climate talk, as long as they walk the walk?

“We are still doing our ambitious work on sustainability and ESG. We just aren’t talking about it as much.” 

In the last couple of months, I’ve spoken to a number of senior people in leading UK businesses who have said this, or a version of  it. Leaders who said they were just as committed to their green targets. But, they are just keeping it quieter. Is this a problem? 

For a while, my pragmatic brain didn’t really think it was. 

I was reassured by the commitments from so many businesses, and the genuine passion from their leaders for a to have a healthier and fairer planet. Their calls for the Government to stick to their ambitious climate pledges so that they could secure investment and plan for the long term are very welcome. 

And it’s understandable in a climate where anyone who sticks their head above the parapet, risks the charge of being ‘woke’ or faces backlash for perceived greenwashing. 

But things are changing, and they are changing fast. Things we took for granted just a few months ago feel far less sure now. The cross party consensus on the urgent need to tackle climate change is in jeopardy. The attacks on our climate ambitions and on the concept of ‘net zero’ grow louder every day.

In this context, we need everyone who believes we are on the right track to be shouting about it. Because it remains true that the huge majority of people in the UK are worried about climate change, and they want the government to take steps to address it. That we want all the benefits that come along with it: cleaner and cheaper energy, cleaner air, and healthier nature. 

But if more and more of us are hearing a very different story then that matters. A lot. 

We humans are imperfect social creatures, and are heavily influenced by those around us. We tend to stick with the herd – it’s safer to agree with the tribe than go against it. People are more likely and willing to do things if other people are. 

Therefore, it gives us reassurance and confidence that other people care about climate change. That we’re normal. Behaviours that show genuine belief and commitment can boost a leader’s credibility, which can in turn enable others to change their behaviour.

2025 was always going to be a defining year for the UK’s climate ambitions, and the UK’s climate conversation. We are halfway through what many experts see as the ‘decisive decade’ on reducing emissions. November marks 10 years from the historic Paris Climate Agreement. 

But around the world we see parties elected on platforms that reject progress on climate action. And in an era of economic strain, where many people’s daily lives are getting harder, the risk of polarisation, political backsliding, and lost momentum is real. 

Without a bold narrative from people who are delivering the green transition we risk division and delay at the very moment we need unity and ambition.

This will not be easy. So how can businesses talk about what they’re doing and minimise negative responses?

• Be honest. Yes, ambitious action can have its difficulties, yes you’ll probably make mistakes. People know that. Be honest with them. 
• Talk like a human – ditch the jargon and talk about why you care about this. You, personally. Why do you care about protecting our planet? 
• Give people belief that progress is possible and is happening – talk about what you’re doing now. Talk about what you’re doing next. Share what you’ve learned and why you’re happy to have learned it, own what you got wrong and how your plans have changed as a result 

We know that we need a groundswell of voices to show how much people in the UK care about climate change and celebrate our climate progress in 2025.  We spoke to 20 leading experts from policy to journalism, campaigns to research who shared their thoughts on what the most important communications challenges and opportunities around climate, clean energy and nature in the UK are for 2025.

We want to work with as many of them as possible to talk loudly about climate progress this year. 

Now, more than ever, we need a shared story that speaks of progress won. We need to show that the green transition is the economic opportunity of the century. We need to do this with real people at the centre. 

And, yes, we need businesses to be bold in helping us tell this story. 

First published in BusinessGreen 4 March 2025.