Stakeholder Engagement: 5 Practical Tips for Sustainability Professionals
Get Stakeholders to Listen
Struggling to get others on board with your sustainability work? This short guide outlines five practical shifts that help sustainability professionals engage stakeholders more effectively — with examples you can apply today.
Written by: Jessie Frahm, Founder at Planet One Point FIve
Getting stakeholders on board is one of the hardest parts of leading sustainability in business.
You might have a strong strategy.
You might even have executive support.
But if key teams aren’t bought in — finance, operations, HR — your ideas won’t get far.
In our work at Planet One Point Five, we’ve supported hundreds of sustainability consultants, managers, and in-house leaders. And one challenge comes up again and again:
Stakeholders aren’t saying no — they’re just not saying yes.
Often, it’s not the strategy that’s the issue.
It’s how the need for change is communicated.
Here are five practical ways to engage stakeholders more effectively, so your ideas get traction and lead to real progress.
1. Lead with outcomes, not passion
Sustainability matters. But in a business context, outcomes matter more.
If you're speaking to a CFO, start with how your initiative reduces financial risk.
For operations, explain how it helps deliver projects more efficiently.
Passion is important. But outcomes get attention.
2. Tailor your message to the function
Each function in the business sees sustainability through a different lens.
This is where many professionals lose momentum - by using the same message for every audience.
Here’s how to adapt your approach:
Finance: Focus on cost, ROI, and long-term risk. For example, show how a low-carbon shift can reduce exposure to regulatory fines.
Operations: Talk about improving process efficiency or reducing delays. Maybe your proposal helps avoid supply chain disruptions.
HR: Highlight how sustainability improves retention and attracts talent. For instance, cite data showing younger employees prioritise purpose-driven companies.
The more specific and relevant your message, the stronger the engagement.
3. Use data to build trust
Emotion alone doesn’t move budgets.
Stakeholders need evidence they can rely on.
Use relevant metrics, studies, or business cases to back up your proposal.
For example, if you're trying to engage HR, cite a stat like:
“More than 70% of millennials say they would take a pay cut to work at a sustainable company.”
(Source: Fast Company)
A well-placed stat or real-world example can move a conversation from “interesting” to “urgent.”
4. Avoid jargon
Sustainability professionals are often trained in complex frameworks — but most stakeholders aren’t.
If your message is packed with acronyms or technical language, you risk losing your audience.
Instead, keep it simple and business-focused.
Here’s how:
Replace “Scope 3 emissions” with “emissions from our suppliers and customers”
Swap “materiality assessment” for “a process to identify what matters most to our business and stakeholders”
Instead of “double materiality,” explain how environmental and financial impacts are connected
Your goal is to make the message easy to understand — not to impress with terminology.
Being understood builds trust.
And trust moves your strategy forward.
5. Position sustainability as a business tool
Sustainability isn’t just a good idea — it’s a smart one.
When you frame it as a tool for solving real business challenges, it becomes easier to prioritise.
For example, if you're proposing a circular packaging initiative, don’t just highlight the environmental benefits. Show how it reduces raw material costs, supports supply chain resilience, or aligns with customer demand for sustainable products.
Is it helping the company reduce risk, retain talent, improve reputation, or find new growth opportunities?
Make that connection clear.
Getting stakeholder support isn’t about convincing people to care.
It’s about showing how sustainability supports what they already care about.
And when you do that well, you're not just pushing a strategy — you're leading a change.
Ready to level up your impact? Apply for the Impact Accelerator today.
“The value of your strategy is only as strong as its relevance to the people who make decisions.”