Communicating Sustainability Online: An Examination of Corporate, Nonprofit, and University Websites

Abstract

Sustainability, here defined as environmental quality and well-being, has emerged as a core business strategy and a focal area of investigation among communication scholars. This study analyzed sustainability landing pages on websites of top corporations, nonprofits, and colleges/universities for the types of sustainability content presented. Comparisons are made between organization types. Few nonprofits in the sample provided sustainability content; however, nearly all universities and more than half of the corporations had a designated sustainability landing page on their websites. Findings suggest that organizations are promoting certain content, but fewer than 40% quantify their sustainability claims on any topic. Implications about the role of these communication forms for sustainability programs are discussed.