Strategy Matters but Comms is the Connective Tissue

Sustainability hasn’t stalled, but in many companies, it’s gone quiet. Plans are still in motion. Teams still exist. Investments are being made. But externally? Things have gone quiet…

This is the corporate dissonance Ioannis Ioannou describes so clearly in his recent Forbes article. The gap between what companies are doing, and what they’re willing to say.

It’s not that companies have abandoned sustainability, more often, they’re stepping back from the conversation. It’s about risk avoidance. Saying less. Playing it safe. Waiting for the noise to pass.

But here’s the thing: 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴–𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲. The science hasn’t changed. The pressure hasn’t gone away. And the risks to supply chains, capital flows, and market relevance are only rising.

That’s why this moment isn’t just about holding the strategy. It’s about connecting it. Internally, across teams. Externally, with credibility.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.
𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠.

Without strong internal communication, teams lose alignment. The work becomes abstract. People step back.

Without external communication, the narrative is lost to louder voices. The company looks uncertain, even if it’s still doing the work.

And all too often, sustainability has been treated like a race, who’s first, fastest, loudest. But nature doesn’t work that way. She thrives through ecosystems, when one part fails, the whole system suffers.

Sustainability isn’t about winning. It’s about surviving together, and finding ways to thrive over time.

So yes, strategy matters

But communications is the connective tissue of integrity. Not just a wrapper for good news, but a way to hold the course, build trust, and turn long-term thinking into everyday action.