Language and social practice in coop italia"s 2023 sustainability report

This study examines Coop Italia"s 2023 Sustainability Report (Rapporto Sostenibilità e Valori 2023), published by Coop Italia. Through a linguistic and discourse analysis, it focuses on how language may be employed to build up a narrative of ethical responsibility and environmental commitment. By taking on Critical Discourse Analysis and Appraisal Theory and drawing on the ideological functions of discourse, the research explores how Coop expresses its sustainability concern in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through some linguistic strategies that promote a shared moral identity, the research highlights the use of inclusive pronouns such as "we", modal expressions like "must", "need to", and evaluative terms as "responsible" and "sustainable", to convey urgency and ethical duty. By promoting the need to respect ecological issues, Coop portrays itself as an ethical mediator between social values and consumer practices. The report is an informational document, however, it is also a performative text that somehow influences consumer behaviour. This paper argues that such corporate communications act as vehicles of ideological influence and integrate sustainability within the language of routine practices to engage their audience. Hence, findings show that language plays a powerful role in shaping how people and institutions understand text and how, in turn, they respond to environmental needs and challenges.