Storytelling for Sustainability Practitioners: Supporting the Communication for Strategic Sustainable Development

Abstract: The general awareness of the sustainability challenge and the urgency to act is increasing. However, the actions being taken do not seem to be sufficient, nor the communication about sustainability effective enough, to ensure a sustainable future. For our research, we looked at the work of sustainability practitioners using a scientifically robust framework called the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD). The research focuses on the interaction between the sustainability practitioner and the audience when communicating the FSSD. It is guided by its central inquiry, how the practice of storytelling can support sustainability practitioners in their work context. A literature review and a total of 13 interviews with sustainability and storytelling practitioners comprise the basis for this analysis. Based on our findings we map out the current practices of storytelling used by sustainability practitioners in the field and offer recommendations with the intention of enhancing this practice. Our research showed that sustainability practitioners practice and benefit from storytelling throughout their work in various ways. We consider this research with all its limitations as an awareness raiser and invitation to deepen the conversation and the exchange of experience and knowledge around the topic of storytelling for sustainability.