Scientists are expected to communicate their research to a wide audience, while often lacking appreciable training. Environmental science poses many value-laden and ethical questions. This necessitates the identification and use of specific strategies or guidelines, which encourage 2-way communication and enable trust in both the experts and the scientific results. The objective of this paper is to give environmental scientists tools for effective science communication based on sound scientific evidence that does not require further specialization in communication studies. Using common scientific search engines in Europe, scientific communication literature that met specific parameters was identified. The summarized data contextualize the importance of science communication in environmental sciences but also highlight the need of scientists for communication experts to aid in establishing objectives for particularly complex topics and audiences. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2019;15:499–504.. © 2019 SETAC