PRCA APAC has launched a new Sustainability Glossary to help communications professionals understand and use sustainability terminology more accurately, including where misuse can create confusion or greenwashing risk.
Developed by the PRCA APAC Sustainability Group, the glossary provides definitions and context for 38 commonly used sustainability terms, including ‘greenwashing’, ‘greenhushing’, ‘net zero’, ‘climate neutral’, ‘transition-washing’ and ‘purpose-led’.
The glossary aims to help communicators understand what the terminology means, as well as the nuances and implications of using it.
It also guides communicators on how these terms should and should not be used, helps them identify common misuse and outlines what evidence may be needed to support sustainability claims.
Pranav Rastogi, Chair of the PRCA APAC Sustainability Group, said: “Communicators are operating in an environment where sustainability language is evolving quickly, and claims are rightly receiving greater scrutiny. We need to understand not only what the terminology means, but the context, nuance and implications of using it.
“This glossary is intended to be a practical resource that helps practitioners ask better questions, interrogate the claims they are being asked to communicate, and communicate sustainability issues more clearly and accurately. Good communications cannot substitute for credible business practices, but they can help ensure those practices are represented responsibly.”
The glossary is intended as a practical communications guide rather than a compliance checklist, recognising that regulations and requirements for substantiating sustainability claims vary across Asia Pacific markets.