This page is designed to help map how sustainability and sustainability-related activities are understood and integrated across different academic disciplines.
It provides a structured way for contributors to explore how their field currently engages with sustainability and where there may be opportunities to strengthen that integration.
The content is organised into three parts:
Part 1
Basic information about the discipline and contributors
Part 2
How sustainability is understood within the discipline
Part 3
Reflection on sustainability integration using the Four Motivations Framework: Risk, Responsibility, Opportunity and Purpose
This framework, developed by Chris Preist (University of Bristol) and shared through Times Higher Education, offers a practical lens for examining how sustainability connects to teaching, research and professional practice.
Purpose
The purpose of this page is to gather insights from RMIT lecturers on how sustainability is currently addressed in how it could be better embedded within their disciplines.
We hope this page encourages you to reflect on
- Teaching and curriculum design
- Research activities
- Professional and industry context
- Student needs and expectations
Through these reflections, the page aims to identify
- Whether sustainability is explicitly recognised in the discipline
- How it is interpreted and applied
- Key challenges, gaps and opportunities for improvement
Part 1: Basic information
Department: School of Communication & Design
Program/Discipline name: Professional Communication
Program code: BP354
Part 2: Sustainability understanding in the discipline
Is sustainability explicitly recognized within Professional Communication and why?
Yes, sustainability is increasingly recognised within Professional Communication discipline though the sustainability concepts are still developing in terms of familiarity, depth and consistency to students and practitioners. In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on integrating sustainability into communication strategies, particularly through effective storytelling, captivating storylines and clear messaging (Institute of Sustainability Studies 2024).
Sustainability communication plays a crucial role as a bridge between behavior change, public engagement and policy advocacy (Gabai 2025). It does not simply inform audiences about environmental or social issues but also shapes perceptions, influences behavior and encourages responsible decision-making. With the rise of digital media and public engagement, graduates and industry professionals in this field are now expected to communicate sustainability in ways that are transparent, credible and actionable.
However, while its importance is increasingly acknowledged, sustainability should still be fully embedded across all areas of the discipline, making it an emerging rather than fully established focus.
How is sustainability currently understood or how it can be understood?
Sustainability in communication discipline is generally understood as the act of consciously integrating sustainability in a communication strategy and decision-making processes. It could involve core pillars such as authenticity, transparency, engagement and consistency. These elements help ensure that communication with stakeholders is meaningful and credible.
From a higher education perspective, sustainability is often approached as an interdisciplinary concept, encouraging students and professionals to think critically about long-term impacts and stakeholder responsibility. In practice, this means designing communication strategies that support sustainable development goals, influence public awareness and foster behavioral change.
Part 3: Reflection on sustainability integration using the Four motivations framework
The RROP framework (Risk, Responsibility, Opportunity and Purpose ) recognizes that engagement with sustainability within academic disciplines is driven by multiple, complementary motivations. By reflecting on and discussing these motivations through the suggested questions, academics across disciplines can explore what sustainability content would be most valuable for curriculum mapping and for building students' capacity while taking the degree and after graduating.
Risk - Preparing students for future changes
Preparing students for a rapidly changing world shaped by climate change and sustainable development challenges. This aspect focuses on key knowledge and skills graduates need to acquire to adapt to future needs. Addressing this area helps ensure students are not left unprepared for future changes.
Applying to the Profession Communication
Although many organizations are adopting sustainability practices, communication around these efforts often faces problems such as intentional or unintentional greenwashing, superficial campaigns, or charity messaging that lacks long-term impact, misrepresentations of genders and marginalized communities. These issues increase public scrutiny and reputational risk; thus, future professionals must communicate sustainability efforts accurately, transparently and inclusively.
Careers in this field will require the ability to evaluate claims, engage stakeholders responsibly and avoid misleading narratives. Students should learn to critically assess sustainability messages, understand community needs and design ethical, inclusive communication strategies.
Responsibility - Enabling ethical and responsible action
Enabling graduates to act ethically and reduce social-environmental harm. This aspect encourages lecturers to think about what understandings and practices will allow our students to act responsibly both during their studies and in their future careers.
Applying to the Profession Communication
Guest talks and industry projects expose students to real business practices, which may differ from classroom knowledge-heavy discussions. Students are encouraged to critically reflect on good practices and gaps and use such insights to design communication strategies that align with business's sustainable development and practice. For example, the strategies may include inclusive messages, avoiding stereotypes and evidence-based sustainability claims.
Professional Communication graduates should be able to assess the social, cultural, ethical and environmental context of the audiences and communities they engage with. They need to distinguish between meaningful sustainability efforts and superficial or misleading claims, such as greenwashing and avoid communication practices that could harm public trust or organisational reputation. Responsible communication practitioners should advocate for honest, transparent messaging and communicating sustainability initiatives in ways that are accurate, inclusive and socially beneficial.
Opportunity - Exploring new pathways for learning, careers and innovation
Identifying areas of career development, as well as new possibilities for innovation and research. This aspect highlights how sustainability challenges can open new directions within a discipline, helping students develop their interests, career pathways and explore potential ways forward.
Applying to the Profession Communication
Through case studies and industry projects, students can examine how messaging can undermine or support communities. They analyse issues such as representation, accessibility, or cultural sensitivity to understand the real impacts of communication strategies. Students and graduates are also encouraged to critically evaluate existing campaigns and policies, identifying problems such as superficial inclusion or lack of communities' voice. If students wish to explore sustainability beyond the discipline, they can participate in research projects, community partnerships, or internships that involve multidisciplinary knowledge, skills and collaboration.
Purpose - Supporting graduates to act beyond discipline, creating positive impacts for a sustainable future
Recognizing that some students want to use their discipline to contribute to a more sustainable and socially just society, this aspect is to support those who seek experiences that go beyond disciplinary knowledge, including interdisciplinary perspectives and real-world engagement with sustainability challenges, thus, they can become effective agents of change.
Applying to the Profession Communication
Professional Communication discipline highlights the role of communication in translating complex issues into reliable, accessible information for broad audiences. Students and graduates should learn how clear and engaging messaging can strongly encourage informed decisions and meaningful actions, such as responsible consumption or community participation. Students or graduates who want to deepen their impact can work across disciplines, collaborating with areas such as education, research, sociology, or public policy through projects or partnerships. They should grasp understanding of how communication supports wider efforts to address social and environmental challenges.
Reference
Preist, C. (2024, November 12). How to embed sustainability into different curricula. The Campus Learn, Share, Connect. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/how-embed-sustainability-different-curricula
