Communicating sustainability

The European Charter for Researchers advocates for a relationship between researchers and employers. or funders that fosters successful knowledge generation, transfer, sharing, and technological development, as well as the career development of researchers. One of the key actions in this relationship is the dissemination of science, which is a demanding task. Effective dissemination activities should be comprehensible to non-specialists and aim to enhance the public’s understanding of science. A two-way interaction with the public allows scientists to understand societal concerns and expectations about science and technology. This understanding, in line with the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) guidelines, can be considered during research prioritization. New media can be effectively used to support these dissemination activities. In this scenario, the communication of sustainability is viewed as an ethical responsibility and a crucial process. This process also involves accurately defining the term ‘sustainability’, a term often used, and perhaps overused, to the point that its definition becomes unclear, as also noted in an editorial from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry1 . Starting from a consensus on the definition of sustainability, we will explore the importance of its communication, current trends, challenges, and opportunities. We will also examine examples of successful and unsuccessful communication strategies in the field of sustainability.