It’s a question so broad that you could write several books about it – and, of course, people do. For Sustainability Content Agency, sustainability is everything that makes the world a healthier place, which is why we use the slogan “For a better world”. This includes, among other things, climate change (CO₂ reduction, net zero and carbon accounting), energy (renewable energy, energy efficiency and the energy transition), the environment (water, soil, air quality and pollution), biodiversity and ecosystem services (nature restoration, etc.), waste, recycling and the circular economy (reuse, repair), and materials (bio-based materials, secondary raw materials and critical raw materials).

These can then be broken down into various application areas, such as mobility and logistics (electrification), the built environment (energy performance, material reuse and climate adaptation), food and agriculture (the protein transition, food waste and regenerative agriculture), products and packaging (product lifespan, repairability and plastics), digitalization (the energy and material footprint of IT, sustainable software), as well as tourism, fashion, healthcare and the financial sector. All these areas are undergoing major changes, with governments, businesses and nonprofits taking responsibility. At the same time, there is still an old economy that stubbornly clings to outdated business models – naturally, because they generate the most profit. SCA writes about all these topics for agencies and end clients around the world, in almost every European language.

Then there is social sustainability, or what we call social impact, a term that is widely used today. What does this include? It is primarily about working conditions, which cover countless topics. Here are just a few: human rights and supply chain responsibility, diversity, equality and inclusion, health and safety, well-being and workload, fair pay, a living wage, customer safety, privacy and data ethics. The common thread here is economics and governance, which are responsible for these issues and must create the conditions needed to drive progress in these areas. This requires a critical look at business models (from ownership to access, as-a-service models and impact-based revenue models), transparency and reporting (CSRD/ESRS, GRI, ISSB), greenwashing, financing (green bonds, ESG investing and taxonomy), procurement and tendering, compliance and anti-corruption. This is a long list, but by no means an exhaustive one.

Young people and recent graduates increasingly want to work for a company or organization where they can make a real impact. Around 70% say that working for an employer with a strong commitment to sustainability or impact is important to them, and around 40% say it is a deciding factor in their choice. But this reflects attitudes or intentions, not actual behaviour – when it comes down to it, salary, work-life balance and job security still carry more weight. In the Netherlands, the willingness to actually change jobs to make a positive impact is low (10%).

SCA also lists health as its third area of expertise. Health naturally relates to both sustainability and social impact, as both are concerned with creating a healthier society. Health is not a side issue in sustainability, but one of its biggest cost drivers. In the Netherlands, it is one of the largest and fastest-growing items of government expenditure. Healthcare spending totalled €113.5 billion in 2024, exactly 10% of GDP, and according to an RIVM forecast published in 2024, is projected to reach €202 billion (14.6% of GDP) by 2050. Health is also largely a consequence of climate and environmental policy: cleaner air, more active travel and healthier food all deliver health benefits that can be expressed in monetary terms. The bottom line is that prevention generally does not lead to net savings in healthcare spending in the short term, but it does improve health and reduce absenteeism. Health is also a prerequisite for sustainability: an unhealthy population cannot support the energy transition, the costs of an ageing population or the demands of a tight labour market. Every additional year of healthy life therefore represents both a potential saving in healthcare costs and a gain for the labour market.

Ultimately, all these topics are interconnected. And that is why Sustainability Content Agency lists all three as areas of expertise. Our linguists, translators and content creators have all been selected specifically for their backgrounds, expertise and experience in these fields. Simply send a message to info@sustainabilitycontentagency.com for more information.

The images in this article are by BiancaVanDijk and CDD20, respectively.