Language is a powerful — but often overlooked — tool in sustainability. It is how we shape ideas and understand the world around us. It helps us to connect with each other and with nature. By naming the things we value, we demonstrate what is important to us and to society as a whole.
Of course, language is also how we communicate knowledge about the social and environmental challenges we face ‘in a way that empowers people to take necessary actions for more sustainable lifestyles’, notes John Canning of Kingston University. And yet language figures very little in our conversations about sustainability. Neither culture nor language are explicitly mentioned within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), despite the UN considering both fundamental to achieving 14 of the 17 SDGs.
We also tend to overlook the fact that much of the conversation takes place in English. When theories and ideas are formulated in one language, they can become culturally-specific and potentially divorced from other ways of thinking about the world. Although some brands are attempting to engage Indigenous communities on land use and management, we in the English-speaking world are still missing out on much of the deep ecological knowledge embedded in Indigenous cultures.
There are no words for climate change in many languages, including Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa which are widely spoken in Nigeria — even though these communities are already feeling the impact of extreme weather events. Talk of ‘climate change’ can feel distant and elitist in the face of day-to-day problems.
Even within Europe, we have examples of concepts that have struggled to cross borders. In early versions of the Brundtland definition of ‘sustainable development’ first adopted by the United Nations in 1987, the term was mistranslated into French as dévéloppement durable (robust and durable) rather than dévéloppement soutenable (sustainable over the longer term).
At Context, writing is central to the work we do for our clients. We appreciate that it is sometimes hard to fully convey the sentiment expressed in one language when translating to another without losing some of the nuance and subtlety of the message.
Why does all this matter?
Given the scale of the climate and nature crises, we need to mobilise as many people to take action as possible. We have previously highlighted research indicating English-speaking consumers lack understanding of key concepts, creating a business-consumer sustainability language barrier. That challenge is multiplied for companies trying to engage with multinational teams — or work with suppliers, customers and other stakeholders across the world.
Companies may also be missing out on opportunities to identify regional best practice that could be rolled out across the business. Research into linguistic injustice by Tatsuya Amano of the University of Queensland has revealed that non-native English speakers are 2.5 times more likely to have their scientific papers rejected by a journal because they find it harder to express their ideas and convey the originality of their research in English. In the corporate world, similar linguistic challenges may translate to a shyness to speak up about local initiatives.
As Erika Darics of the University of Groningen points out, ‘specific communication strategies influence attitudes and behaviours towards sustainability issues’. The English lexicon of sustainability is dominated by terms such as ‘reduction’ and ‘efficiency’, which focus on the things we have to lose in moving to a lower-carbon world. It makes the transition feel hard and unappealing. Other languages may offer a better vision for the kind of relationship with the world we could create — something we want to move towards. As change management specialists will attest, we need to create the desire for change before we can do things differently.
The new world could be one of ‘hiraeth’ (Welsh: deep yearning for and connection with the land around us) or ‘lagom’ (Swedish: having enough or just what we need). We don’t need to be fluent in Welsh or Swedish to familiarise ourselves with these words, just as we don’t need to learn German to recognise ‘Schadenfreude’ or Danish to appreciate ‘hygge’. Getting to grips with just a few words can open our eyes to inspiration from other cultures.
Similarly, being mindful of these issues can help us to be better communicators. It is about making a conscious effort to explain strategies and concepts in clear and simple terms that won’t get lost in translation. It helps us to be more inclusive.
There are also potential benefits for brands. Research across 13 countries found that a whopping 88% of respondents wanted brands to demonstrate understanding and appreciation of national identity — and 93% wanted brands to speak to them in their own language. Sadly, only 23% of those surveyed believed that brands truly delivered. Stepping up to the mark by offering ‘engaging, culturally relevant’ messaging and customer services could be an important competitive differentiator. For Maria Schnell, Chief Language Officer at RWS, a company that develops artificial intelligence-enabled translation tools, it means layering human insight and expertise over machine translation.
There is no easy formula for how to achieve communication that is culturally relevant. The answers will vary between one organisation and the next. Developing an awareness of the issues, a deep understanding of context and focusing on stakeholder needs is a good place to start.
