Public Communication and Sustainability in a Post‐Truth Era

Abstract

The issue of post-truth has become especially critical in the context of the global crisis caused by COVID-19, the recovery from which, as initial assessments assert, will not involve a straightforward return to normality. After considering the features of a post-truth context, the author explores the challenge of communicating the intangible value of the 2030 Agenda. She describes the risks facing a true sustainability agenda and proposes streams of work aiming for one. Bringing different actors toward consensus is at the heart of public-sector communication, in line with the conceptualization presented in this chapter. The challenge of communicating sustainability in a time of post-truth becomes even greater if one takes into account that the 2030 Agenda is about something intangible. The intangible resource of organizational culture is useful for bringing about a convergence of the efforts of public-sector employees by aligning them with the SDGs. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.