(Photo by Tim Graf via Unsplash)

As I argued in Part 1, “sustainable” is probably the last word you should use when talking about your sustainability efforts, offerings or achievements.

If that’s true, what should you say instead?

I’ve put together the following list of recommendations to ensure you’re using language that fits your purpose, fosters trust, and serves the sustainability movement at large.

These recommendations are listed in general order of preference and can serve as a checklist of options. Follow them sequentially when deciding what words to use.

1. Be more specific. Use a different word.

Sustainability is such a comprehensive, catch-all concept that its adjective, “sustainable,” doesn’t mean much. At best, it stands for multiple features or improvements all rolled into one word. At worst, it’s a buzzword, used without much intention or thought.

To keep your message clear, practical and descriptive, use a more specific word or phrase wherever possible.

Examples
Sustainable material –> Non-toxic, plant-based material
Sustainable travel –> Low-carbon transportation
Sustainable apparel –> Fairly traded, organic clothing

2. Use “sustainability” instead.

When “sustainable” means “about or for sustainability,” it’s more accurate to use “sustainability” as a modifier.

Examples
Sustainable courses –> Sustainability courses
Sustainable consulting –> Sustainability consulting
Sustainable measures –> Sustainability measures

This usage is surprisingly common, but makes sense. In everyday speech, we tend to switch freely between a noun and it’s adjectival version when describing something. For example, the practice of analyzing your competitors in business can be either “competitor analysis” or “competitive analysis,” even though the analysis itself isn’t competitive; the analysis is about competition.

3. Speak in relative terms.

Sustainability is an endless endeavor. It’s an ideal we can never fully achieve, and one that every generation must search and strive for.

It’s always more accurate — and more believable — to say that something is more or less sustainable than sustainable in absolute terms. After all, companies with a net-positive impact are still virtually nonexistent. Generally speaking, it’s easy to know whether something is better for people or the planet than another version of the same thing based on a comparison of specific features.

4. Add an adverb.

Sustainable in what way?

Some phrases, such as “sustainable business” and “sustainable supply,” require special treatment because “sustainable” in these cases is used in the more traditional, literal sense (“able to be sustained”). For example, the financial sustainability of a business is often treated as a concern separate from its environmental and social impacts; profit-first companies want a sustainable business — just not the kind you might hope for.

Examples
Sustainable business –> Financially sustainable business
An unsustainable project –> An emotionally unsustainable project

Keep the word, but not if you’re making a claim.

This recommendation comes toward the end, after you’ve considered other alternatives.

At this point, ask yourself: Does the way you’re using “sustainable” here sound or look like you’re making a claim? Or does it reflect a vision, an aspiration, a commitment that invites people into your mission?

If the former, I recommend that you don’t use it.

If the latter, I encourage you to use it with intention, and be sure to translate it into specific, practical terms.

When used well, “sustainable” is a call to action. It’s a unifying, rallying device. Consider the example Sustainable Seattle. Is this a claim that Seattle is a sustainable city, or an invitation to join them in making their vision a reality? If the latter, do they talk about their vision in practical terms?

Bonus: Consider the role of design in your message.

Design does matter when it comes to interpreting your message.

Consider another example, from Pact. When I bought Pact undershirts several years ago, I was excited about purchasing organic cotton clothing for the first time. Back then, organic cotton was hard to find, and I hoped this was a sign of positive change.

But when my shirts arrived, I cringed a little. The label inside the collar read “Sustainable fashion for all,” with the word “Sustainable” top and center, scrawled in big cursive lettering, and the “fashion for all” part below it in small block letters.

(Photo credit: Modern Fellows)

It was as if Pact was equating its company and brand with sustainability. And as far as I knew, the only thing that made them more sustainable was that they were using organic cotton. It felt like an indisputable claim based on a single feature, rather than a holistic, practical and ongoing vision they wanted me to support them with.

I still wore the shirts happily, and even told friends about Pact. But my trust and confidence in the company was now tinged with doubt. Were they simply using consumers’ sustainability concerns to push their product? Or were they committed to sustainability in other areas of their business beyond the mission to popularize organic cotton? Their use of language and design suggested the former.

So keep design in mind when it comes to interpreting your message. Your customers may be more sensitive than you think.

(Stephen Jensen)