Australia’s new Sustainability Reporting Standards (ASRS), developed by the AASB and aligned with IFRS S1 and S2, are starting to influence more than just financial statements. As these standards begin to flow through annual reporting processes, many marketing teams are now being asked to re-examine the language used in public-facing content.
If you’re part of a large enterprise, you may have the benefit of ESG and legal teams reviewing everything. If you’re in a small to medium-sized business, that task often lands squarely in marketing’s lap—sometimes without clear guidance.
Regardless of your company’s size, once a piece of content is published under your brand, it becomes your responsibility. And that includes content supplied by third parties.
Here’s a practical guide to help you align your content with the new sustainability reporting landscape.
1. Audit your content for sustainability risks
Start by reviewing any existing content that references sustainability or social responsibility. That might include:
- Product pages
- Thought leadership articles
- Responsibility or “About” sections on your website
- Social posts or campaign messaging
- Supplier-provided product descriptions
- Other company publications
Look out for vague or unsubstantiated language. This includes terms like “green,” “eco-friendly,” or “sustainable” are often used without supporting evidence. You’ll also want to flag any stats or claims that no longer reflect your business’s current sustainability reporting.
2. Watch for risks in third-party content
Even if content is supplied by someone else—say, a manufacturer, partner, or supplier—if you publish it, you’re still accountable for the messaging.
This is particularly relevant for:
- Product descriptions supplied by manufacturers or distributors.
- Promotional content provided by external partners.
- Quotes from suppliers or stakeholders used in case studies or blogs.
What to do:
- Run third-party content through the same review process you’d use for in-house material.
- Remove or reword claims that can’t be substantiated.
- If a supplier regularly includes the same types of claims, make sure your ESG or leadership team is aware.
It’s also a good idea to put a simple process in place for requesting verification. That could be as easy as a shared checklist or template email your team can use to ask suppliers for supporting information or certifications. It helps ensure everyone is working from the same facts.
3. Create a shared lexicon for sustainability terms
Work with your ESG or leadership team to develop a list of approved terminology—language that aligns with your company’s reporting and risk profile. It should include:
- Terms you can use freely
- Terms that need evidence or approval
- Phrases to avoid altogether
Sharing this with your internal writers and external contributors will help keep things consistent and reduce friction during reviews.
4. Integrate sustainability into the briefing process
Add a sustainability check to your content briefing templates. If a piece is likely to touch on environmental or social impact themes, make that clear from the start and identify whether it needs review by someone in your ESG or legal team.
This simple addition helps content writers frame the piece appropriately, and prevents awkward rewrites later.
5. Tailor your process to the size of your organisation
For large enterprises:
You may already have governance frameworks in place. The challenge is ensuring ESG, legal, and marketing workflows are connected, especially when third-party content is involved.
For smaller businesses:
Keep it simple. Appoint a single person (even if it’s your CFO or director) to review high-risk content, and introduce a lightweight checklist to flag issues before content is published.
6. Validate claims—don’t assume a disclaimer is enough
If a claim is misleading or can’t be backed up, it doesn’t matter whether you included a footnote or attributed it to someone else. Once it appears on your website or marketing materials, it’s part of your brand messaging.
Wherever possible:
- Verify sustainability claims before publishing.
- Revise or remove anything that can’t be substantiated.
- Be clear about the source of third-party quotes, and avoid overstating what they imply.
7. Revisit and re-audit regularly
As your business evolves, so will your sustainability goals, and your content should reflect that. Set a reminder to review key sustainability-related pages and product content at least once a year. It doesn’t have to be a huge job if you’re checking incrementally.
Final thoughts
You don’t need to become an ESG expert to align your content with ASRS, but you do need to ask the right questions. Start by tightening your review process, clarifying roles, and making sure everyone involved in content creation knows what to look for.
Done well, this shift can help you stay compliant, build credibility and stand out in a space where transparency is increasingly important.
Leonie Seysan is the Director of Article Writers Australia, and manages the team of professional writers and editors. She holds a Bachelor of Communications Degree (Media Studies) and has been writing professionally for over 15 years. Leonie is also the podcast host of 'Content with Humans'.
