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From quiet action to confident storytelling

5 September 2025

Many businesses have taken meaningful steps to reduce and offset their carbon emissions, but when it comes to sharing those contributions, they often stay quiet. The hesitation is understandable. Nobody wants to risk being misunderstood or accused of overstating their impact. Yet staying silent can also hold your organisation back.

Transparency isn’t about being perfect. It’s about showing progress, however small, and giving customers, employees, and stakeholders the confidence that you’re engaged in sustainability. Every purchase of a carbon credit, every project supported, every contribution you make is a step towards a cooler planet. Sharing those steps openly helps build trust and momentum.

The most common reasons we hear for businesses staying quiet include:

  • Fear of criticism - “What if someone points out what we haven’t done yet?”
  • Uncertainty over language - “What terms are safe to use?”
  • Underestimating interest - “Will anyone care about the detail?”

These are valid concerns. But silence creates a bigger risk: your impact goes unseen, and your brand misses the chance to demonstrate leadership.

Why visibility matters

Talking about your sustainability journey is not just about recognition. It’s about building credibility. Customers increasingly expect clarity on emissions reductions and offsets. RFPs now routinely include sustainability criteria, and employees want to work for organisations that show a clear path to net zero.

When you make your contributions visible, and talk about the tonnes of carbon you’ve offset, the projects you support, and the communities that benefit, you turn abstract goals into tangible proof. That proof strengthens trust, attracts climate-conscious customers, and reassures stakeholders that your actions are real.

Magnifying glass over a globe symbolising visibility of climate action
Checklist of steps for businesses to share climate impact

How to move from quiet to confident

The shift doesn’t require a huge leap. It’s about adopting a few simple practices:

  • Lead with facts - Share clear data: carbon footprint calculated, credits purchased, emissions offset.
  • Name your projects - Talk about the initiatives you support, from forest restoration to renewable energy. Projects bring your impact to life.
  • Show your trail - Use tools like receipts, certificates, landing pages, and widgets to make every contribution traceable.
  • Frame the bigger picture - Position offsetting as one step in your wider sustainability journey, alongside reduction.

Consistency is key. Regular updates, whether through a dashboard, a short note on your website, or a co-branded receipt, build confidence over time.

Progress over perfection

Remember that nobody expects you to be carbon neutral overnight. What people value is honesty, clarity, and action they can see. By telling your story with simplicity and transparency, you not only keep the planet cool, but you also cool the nerves of stakeholders looking for trustworthy partners.

So if you’ve been keeping your impact quiet, now is the time to share it. Start small. Share one initiative. Publish one metric. The confidence comes with practice, and every step you make visible brings us all one click closer to a cooler planet.

Business person walking up stairs on a sustainability journey

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