While the need for climate mitigation and adaptation has never been more urgent or more evident, the conversation around sustainable transition has stalled. We have moved from a say-do gap to a do-say gap, with a growing culture of greenhush that is limiting leadership, differentiation, and progress.  

As part of our Don’t Overengineer It series, Man Bites Dog convened leaders from consulting, engineering, energy and infrastructure during London Climate Action Week to discuss how we break the silence of greenhush and reframe sustainability marketing communications to shape the next economy. 

Our panel: Catherine Whyte, Thought Leadership and Content Lead for Europe & India at AECOM; Adam Strudwick, Principal at Perkins&Will; Adam Nethersole, VP of Marketing at Kao Data; our very own Danielle Anderson, Principal Consultant at Man Bites Dog, and me, Claire Mason, Founder & CEO of Man Bites Dog. 

It was a fascinating discussion, with lots of ground covered. Here are our 10 takeaways: 

• 1. The differentiation dilemma - as infrastructure firms gravitate to the same resilience narrative. 
  This convergence is making it harder for firms to articulate a distinctive market position. Without a clear point of view, even strong capabilities risk becoming commoditised in the eyes of clients. 
  
• 2. The opportunity to stand out through greater specificity and compelling niches. 
  Owning a defined space—whether sectoral, technical or thematic—enables firms to lead conversations rather than follow them. This is where sharp positioning and evidence-led thought leadership can create disproportionate impact. 
  
• 3. The power of storytelling and emotional connection – bringing outcomes to life through the lens of people and places. 
  Data alone rarely shifts perception; stories translate complexity into meaning. For marketing leaders, this means elevating projects into narratives that demonstrate real-world value and societal impact. 
  
• 4. The importance of messaging and the need for a “common love language” to engage stakeholder groups with different agendas. 
  From policymakers to investors to communities, aligning diverse stakeholders requires a unifying narrative. Strategic messaging frameworks can help organisations communicate with clarity while flexing for different audiences. 

    Individual leadership still matters. Equipped with the right insight, narrative and platform, marketing leaders can catalyse internal momentum and position their organisations at the forefront of industry change.

• 5. The ability of marketing to influence the firm’s product or service, creating competitive edge by enabling positive change for clients. 
  Marketing is increasingly shaping not just how firms talk about value, but how they define and deliver it. Insight-led marketing can surface unmet client needs and inform the evolution of services and solutions. 
  
• 6. What clients value: actionable optimism, backed by tools, data, benchmarking and roadmaps that turn ambition into delivery. 
  There is growing demand for clarity and practicality over vision alone. Firms that can package insight into usable frameworks and evidence-backed guidance are better positioned to build trust and long-term relationships. 
  
• 7. The critical “big picture” role of marketing leaders as superconnectors – helping organisations shift from siloes to systems thinking. 
  This requires connecting insight, sectors and capabilities into a coherent story about the future. Marketing leaders are uniquely placed to join the dots across business units and translate complexity into strategic direction. 
  
• 8. The case for engaging business to fix sustainability issues at source – not relying solely on behaviour change. 
  This shifts the narrative from downstream messaging to upstream influence. It opens up a role for marketing in shaping strategy, partnerships and innovation agendas, not just communicating outcomes. 
  
• 9. The importance of sharing what went wrong and lessons from failure in infrastructure delivery – any takers for a “Wrongference”? Watch this space. 
  Credibility in this space comes from honesty as much as success. Creating platforms for shared learning can position firms as mature, transparent leaders willing to push the industry forward. 
  
• 10. The power of one passionate person – and how marketing leaders can step into that changemaker role. 
  Individual leadership still matters. Equipped with the right insight, narrative and platform, marketing leaders can catalyse internal momentum and position their organisations at the forefront of industry change. 

Ten takeaways, one thread running through all of them: engineering’s sustainability challenge isn’t lack of substance. The sector has a strong story to tell, it now needs to articulate it with greater clarity, confidence and impact. And that is a far better problem to solve. 

Don't Overengineer It is our community for marketing leaders across consulting, engineering, energy and infrastructure. Want to get involved? Get in touch to find out more.