Sustainability storytelling has never been more critical—or more complicated.

• Stories without substance invite greenwashing scrutiny.

• Messages that ignore context spark backlash.

• Compelling claims without proof trigger legal risk.

• And even real progress gets lost when communication fails to resonate.

With pressure rising from investors, customers, employees, and regulators, how you communicate sustainability is now both a liability and an opportunity.

Organizations that get it right—balancing context, compelling narrative, credible substance, and compliant messaging—turn sustainability storytelling into a business advantage. They build trust, strengthen brands, attract talent, reduce risk, and unlock new markets.

The book every sustainability communicator needs

Sustainability Storytelling is the definitive guide for communicators, marketers, and sustainability leaders navigating today’s high-stakes landscape.

Drawing on insights from leaders at PepsiCo, Salesforce, SAP, Veolia, Apollo Global Management, and others—as well as the author’s unique perspective as both a journalist scrutinizing corporate claims and a strategist helping companies craft them—this book provides a practical framework for stories that inform, inspire, and withstand scrutiny.

This is a playbook for influencing stakeholders—often without authority—by translating sustainability strategy into narratives that drive real business and societal impact.

What you’ll learn

• The Four C's Framework: Master Context, Compelling, Credible, and Compliant storytelling—and understand how to balance all four.

• Strategic Assessment: Evaluate your organization’s storytelling maturity and build a strategy grounded in business priorities.

• Risk Navigation: Avoid greenwashing through substance-backed messaging and smart legal collaboration.

• Global Nuance: Adapt sustainability stories across cultures, industries, and reputation landscapes.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Bring sustainability, communications, and legal teams together to create stories that land—and last.

• Real-World Application: Put principles into practice with templates, frameworks, and case studies from leading companies.