The Credibility of Sustainability: Is It Embedded in Your Core?

At Purpose Day, some of the biggest challenges surrounding sustainability came to light. Wim Vermeulen highlighted the harsh reality that sustainability campaigns are heavily scrutinized for their credibility. "Of all the campaigns studied, only 12% were deemed credible," explains Laurens Franssen. “And that’s a problem, because if sustainability lacks credibility, how can we drive the necessary change?”

One striking example is Apple’s ‘Mother Nature’ campaign. Despite Apple’s efforts to reduce its footprint, only 3.3% of the audience found the campaign credible. Why? Laurens explains: “The issue isn’t that we don’t believe Apple, but that their sustainability efforts don’t seem to be tied to their core activity.” He continues: “If Fairphone had led this campaign, it would have likely been received much more credibly.”

This is where regrowth comes in. Businesses must integrate sustainability into their core strategy—not just as a promise, but as the driving force behind everything they do. At u-inc, we help companies with our Regrowth Model™ to create value that’s inclusive of people and the planet, while boosting credibility from the inside out. “Sustainability is only effective if it’s rooted in your core,” concludes Laurens.