4 helpful tips for making the case for your ESG program

If you are like most professional communicators working in a corporate environment, you’re aware of a new operating standard that has taken traditional corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs to a higher level—ESG, or environment, social, and governance. While CSR programs typically refer to a company’s accountability on social matters, ESG elevates those activities to make them measurable in a way that shows the bottom-line impact of corporate social values, and more importantly, actions.

There is ample evidence to support the “why” for creating an ESG program: America rejoining the Paris Climate Accords; rallies for important social causes like Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ rights; a new generation of workers who want to work for companies that are committed to social justice and environmental sustainability; the buying power of younger consumers who demand products and services from companies that are socially responsible; investors who clamor for more disclosure on ESG issues and demonstrations of progress; and risk managers and insurers who are asking tough questions about ESG plans.

Here’s what you need to know about the “how”—because making the case for an ESG program’s proven effectiveness typically falls on the communications and marketing team.

Below are some tips to help frame an effective plan: