Assessing the effectiveness of corporate communication on climate change. A corpus-based, multimodal investigation of discourse practices in CSRs

This chapter aims to present findings from research that investigates climate change communication. Adopting a methodology that combines Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough 2013; Fuoli and Beelitz 2023), Corpus-Assisted Discourse Studies (Gillings et al. 2023), Speech Act Theory (Searle 1976), and Visual Semiotics within corporate contexts (Koller 2009; Malavasi 2018), it explores how both verbal and visual language shape the climate change narrative. Specifically, the chapter examines how energy companies utilize speech acts in their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) communications to convey their accountability within the context of climate delay discourse (Lamb et al., 2020). Furthermore, the study highlights how these companies employ color metaphors and other non-verbal elements, such as graphics, to raise public awareness about global climate issues. Although verbal and visual elements may seem independent, our research demonstrates that they mutually support one another. This interplay collectively creates narratives about climate change within energy companies, aimed at persuading audiences of their commitment to environmental action. The study is based on a corpus of Sustainability Reports produced by major energy companies from 2020 to 2023.