So you’ve decided it’s time to bring in specialist help for your sustainability communications. Good call. But the truth is, not every agency that calls itself a “green marketing agency” actually knows what that means. Or can prove it.
The market is full of generalist agencies who’ve bolted on a sustainability practice, given someone the title of “ESG content lead,” and started pitching impact economy clients. For most buyers, that’s not enough. And depending on where you’re operating, it could be a legal liability.
Here’s what to ask before you sign on the dotted line.
1. Do you understand the EU Green Claims Directive?
If an agency can’t tell you what the Green Claims Directive is — and what it means for your marketing copy — that’s a problem. The proposed Green Claims Directive and the already-adopted Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive have significantly raised the bar for environmental marketing in Europe. Even where the Green Claims proposal itself remains politically uncertain, regulators are increasingly scrutinising vague or unsubstantiated environmental claims.
Terms such as ‘eco-friendly’, ‘green’, or offset-based ‘carbon neutral’ claims are increasingly subject to regulatory scrutiny and may be restricted or prohibited depending on how they are substantiated.
A competent sustainability marketing agency should be able to walk you through the claim types that may require robust substantiation and, depending on future legislative developments, independent verification. If they respond with a blank look, walk on.
2. Do your writers have specialist science or policy knowledge?
Great sustainability content requires more than good prose. It requires someone who understands carbon accounting methodologies, biodiversity frameworks, EU taxonomy classifications, or supply chain ESG standards, depending on your focus.
Ask who actually writes the content. Is it a specialist, or a generalist who’s been handed a sustainability brief and a search engine?
3. Have you navigated a greenwashing crisis?
Nobody wants one. But greenwashing scrutiny is intensifying, from regulators, investors, journalists, and increasingly, the public. An agency with genuine crisis experience knows how to respond credibly without over-promising, how to update or retract claims responsibly, and how to rebuild trust over time.
4. Do you understand ESG reporting frameworks?
GRI, CSRD, ESRS, ISSB — if your communications agency can’t connect your content strategy to your reporting obligations, you risk saying one thing publicly and disclosing something quite different officially. That gap is where reputational (and legal) risk lives.
A strong sustainable PR agency should be able to align content strategy with your broader ESG disclosure picture, even if they’re not doing the reporting themselves.
5. Who are your current clients, and what sectors do you work across?
There’s a difference between an agency that works with mission-driven SMEs, one that specialises in enterprise ESG, and one that claims to do both. Neither is wrong, but you need to know which one you’re hiring.
Ask about sectors they’ve worked in. Ask whether they’ve worked with companies at your stage, with your level of impact maturity. The answer will tell you a lot.
6. How do you handle scientific uncertainty?
Good sustainability communicators don’t paper over complexity. They know that some claims are contested, some data is directional rather than definitive, and that acknowledging nuance is actually a credibility signal and not a weakness.
If an agency promises to make all your claims sound clean and certain, be wary. That could be the first step towards a greenwashing problem.
7. What does success look like beyond reach and impressions?
Follower counts and page views are fine. But a specialist sustainability communications agency should also be able to talk about thought leadership positioning, regulatory risk reduction, stakeholder trust, and narrative coherence over time. Ask how they measure what actually matters for a company like yours.
Not all green agencies are green flags
Choosing a sustainability marketing agency is not the same as choosing a marketing agency that talks about sustainability. The difference matters — commercially, reputationally, and increasingly, legally.
The right agency will ask you hard questions before you ask them any. They’ll know the regulations, respect the science, and understand that the most credible brand voice is one that tells the truth, well.
If that sounds like the kind of partner you’re looking for, we’d love to hear from you.
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