Sustainability communication network

Stakeholders and society are demanding clearer evidence from companies on sustainability business and supporting sustainable development. Successful sustainability communication helps companies build reputation, create competitive advantage, manage crises, and engage stakeholders. Sustainability communication is an untapped resource for many companies. In this short REACT project, our goal is to increase the competitiveness of entrepreneurs and companies in Northern Savo in the post-corona era by strengthening their prerequisites for the green transition through the development of sustainability communication skills.

Project activities:

1. NETWORK COOPERATION
   We will gather a North Savo-based sustainability communications network consisting of companies, educational institutions, and other organizations, where good practices will be shared on promoting responsibility communication activities and future events and campaigns will be planned together.
2. TRAINING
   In autumn 2023, we will organize open trainings on sustainability communications for everyone:
   1. Successful sustainability campaigns
   2. Sustainability communication or greenwashing?
   3. The ABCs of sustainability communication
   4. Visual aspects of sustainability communications and consumer perspective
   5. Social and administrative responsibility and communication
3. COMMUNICATION
   We communicate about good practices, participatory operating models, events and trainings through social media, blog posts, newsletters, and websites. We offer the Small Everyday Eco-Acts challenge campaign for companies to use to challenge their personnel to measure their own carbon footprint, get tips on eco-acts and consider their own responsibility both in their work and everyday life.
4. EVENTS
   We participate in responsibility-themed events, highlighting the theme of responsibility communication and network cooperation. We will organize Litter Moves event on 3.-4.10.2023 in Kuopio and Joensuu.
5. VIDEO SERIES
   We plan and implement a series of social media videos related to responsibility based on the Small Eco-Acts of Everyday Life campaign. There will be stories from the university’s staff, students, and companies in the area about their responsibility actions.
6. EVALUATION AND GOVERNANCE
   We will map the needs for developing communications and measuring their impact and assess the need for a follow-up project.