Problem 3. Complex or unclear communication

Even when sustainability-related clauses are present and properly placed, they may still fail if they are difficult to understand and use.

Contract language and structure often make sustainability clauses hard to interpret, navigate, and apply. Different forms of jargon, including legalese, sustainabilitese, and duediligencese can obscure operational expectations, hide key information, and make it difficult for users to understand what they are expected to do and how those expectations should be implemented in practice.

This is not only a question of language, but also of structure, layout, and information design: how content is organised, structured, and presented within and across documents.

The purpose of language and design is not only to make contract content findable, readable, and understandable, but ultimately capable of supporting action and implementation – enabling users to recognise what is expected of them and act accordingly. In this sense, language and design do not only improve communication. They shape whether contracts work in practice and drive sustainability outcomes – or remain ineffective.