2025 is fast approaching, and with over 50% of UK consumers factoring environmental concerns into their choices, and greenwashing proving highly damaging to brand reputations when exposed1, sustainability is no longer optional for businesses.
To help business leaders stay ahead of the curve, George Curtis, Director at sustainability consultancy Carbon Neutral Group, highlights three key areas to focus on in the coming year to build customer trust and credibility.
- Green claims: As consumers become increasingly informed, they are demanding more information about businesses’ sustainability practices, products, and services. Transparent communication will be essential in 2025. Businesses must clearly substantiate their claims, influenced by regulations like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and customer expectations for actionable evidence, through a Sustainability Plan or marketing activities such as tree plantation schemes.
- Carbon offsetting: This will continue to be important in 2025, but it is no longer considered a comprehensive solution for all businesses to become carbon neutral. With high-profile greenwashing cases casting doubt on offsetting, such as Goldman Sachs being fined $4 million in 2022 by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for misleading its customers about ESG investments, customers are becoming more sceptical of carbon offsetting claims. Next year we will see more businesses choose to offset a percentage of their emissions rather than the total amount. This approach is more achievable, and allows businesses to redirect resources to other, impactful carbon reduction efforts.
- Carbon reduction strategies: The demand for robust carbon reduction strategies is rising. Businesses are increasingly seeking guidance from consultancies and internal stakeholders to implement meaningful changes that go beyond quick fixes. In 2025 we expect to see customers continue expecting deeper, wider and all encompassing cultural shifts that drive behaviour changes and long-term commitments. This includes carbon baseline assessments, annual reporting, reduction targets, and marketing of progress.
Over the next year, organisations will need to focus on addressing consumer concerns around greenwashing tactics, and embedding sustainability into their culture. By doing so, they can build lasting trust with customers and establish sustainability as a core business practice.
Carbon Neutral Group is one of the UK’s fastest-growing carbon neutral and sustainability consultancies, with clients including NHS Trusts, digital marketing agencies and architects.