Energising the sustainability story in an era of green fatigue

Energising sustainabilityThe property industry’s sustainability successes are a good news story. So why have people switched off? The secret is humanising our achievements, says NDY’s global marketing and communications director, Ric Navarro.Navarro (pictured), who will MC the Green Cities conference from 6-8 March in Sydney, has led engineering firm Norman Disney & Young’s marketing and communications for five years, and was recently recognised as one of Australia’s Top chief marketing officers. “People in our industry gravitate towards talking about technology and innovation rather than impact,” Navarro says.”In reality, most people aren’t concerned with the number of solar panels on the roof of a building. They want to know how the system will make a difference to their bottom line, to the safety, comfort and wellbeing of occupants, to improved staff engagement, and how it will contribute to asset return.”The property industry has a powerful story around sustainability – but it’s important to differentiate between telling and showing.”And the greatest mechanism for showing is through the power of real life stories. Whether it’s a subject matter expert or a non-professional, it’s proven that audiences connect better with people sharing their stories.”While Australia’s scorching summer smashed temperature records around the country – and global temperatures have risen for three years in a row – Navarro cautions against using scare tactics to sell the sustainability message.Shock and awe can change behaviour, Navarro explains, pointing to the reduction in drink driving and traffic accidents as a result of road safety advertising. But when the problem is global in scale, it’s easy for people to dismiss their individual impact as insignificant.”Humanising sustainability is key and the simple process of modifying vernacular can have a significant impact.” This is why communicating authentically is important, Navarro says.”The term ‘authenticity’ is used liberally but, at its core, to be authentic means to be genuine to your brand – not trying to oversell or overcomplicate your story, but rather looking to create a compelling narrative for your audience. “Whether you’re reading a blog, watching a video or trawling through social media, you have about five seconds to engage with the audience in order for them to keep watching, reading or engaging with your content. Your story can be technical, but it needs to be told in an engaging way.”Most people now recognise that ‘sustainable’ encompasses a much broader set of ideas than ‘green’, Navarro says. “Fundamentally, we are talking about how we sustain our way of life and standard of living.”In the perfect storm of Brexit, Trump and Pauline Hanson, people are craving authentic leadership and authentic communication to sustain them, he says. “People are reacting against the rhetoric and disappointment of previous leaders and they are looking for alternatives. They aren’t sure what that the alternative might be, but they don’t want what was on offer previously.”Could that alternative be green?Maybe, he says, but we should avoid using the terms ‘green’ or ‘good for the environment’. “There’s a real sense of green fatigue.” But a lot of the ideas being explored at Green Cities this year are about how to make people’s lives better, Navarro says. “How to do density well, how to ensure communities are interconnected, how to be an empathic leader, how to incorporate reconciliation into our placemaking to respect our Indigenous culture”All of this is about sustainability without saying sustainability. And that’s the key. The craft of storytelling is the unsung hero in winning the hearts, minds – and wallets – of your audience.” Now in its 11th year, the Green Cities conference brings together the best and brightest minds to explore how we ‘fast forward to the future’ to create better places for people. Tickets are still available now.