Writing about the E in ESG
5 tips for communicating your brand’s commitment to climate
Record-setting heat and climate news have many brands talking about their efforts toward conservation and sustainability.
While ESG (environmental, social and governance) is the hot new buzzword, it can be an incredibly technical and complicated topic to write about. Crafting thoughtful and informative impact communications can engage readers, build brand recognition and inspire stakeholders.
What is ESG?
Specifically, ESG is a reporting framework for investors and lenders to evaluate companies—usually publicly traded. Currently, there is no one universally accepted framework, but some of the most often used include:
Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)
Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB)
Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI)
Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)
However, companies that aren’t required to report against an ESG framework should still communicate about their environmental sustainability practices — the “E” in ESG. 80% of U.S. Gen. Z consumers believe brands should help make people’s lives better. Tell your brand’s conservation story to connect with customers and inspire employee loyalty.
Five tips for writing engaging corporate environmental communications
Skip the technical phrasing.
ESG is rife with acronyms and jargon. Unless you are creating a true ESG report or your audience is a subject matter expert, it’s important to use clear, easy-to-understand language when describing your company’s conservation efforts. Your goal should be to describe and inform, not drown your readers in industry-specific terms.
Avoid hyperbole and metaphor.
Say what you mean and be specific. You’ve probably read a climate article that uses terms like “perfect storm,” “doomsday clock,” or “net zero.” These are all fine but don’t adequately articulate the risk to specific communities or the work that needs to take place and may turn readers off.
Replacing irrigation systems, reducing supply chain waste or updating LED lighting might not be the sexiest topics, but they are often the most impactful when it comes to environmental conservation. In hopes of overcoming the banality of the subject, writers might resort to cliches or metaphors. It might make for good reading, but writing flair like analogies can be misleading or confusing.
Similarly, hyperbole can draw readers in, but climate change is an already anxiety-inducing issue for so many — ethically reporting means sticking to the facts and the outcomes.
Be transparent.
Use data and storytelling to describe your impact, not just your outputs. Consider sharing case studies or examples of specific projects and graphics and visuals to highlight progress over time. If your outcomes aren’t where you’d like them to be yet, share your specific goals and vision for the future. Customers and employees will appreciate your honesty.
Talk to the people doing the work.
Unless you have an actual ESG program, facilities managers often do the conservation work. When devising your communication plan for talking about environmental sustainability, meet with them. They can share what your company is and isn’t doing — you might find there’s not much to say. Or you might discover the facilities team cleaned the coils of all the refrigerators during the pandemic shut down, and now your company is saving tons in carbon emissions.
Tie the story to the company’s vision and mission.
To connect with readers, align your environmental and sustainability communications with your organization’s mission and values.
Consumers crave authenticity from brands. People want to know that you’re undertaking this work because your company cares about the environment, not because you want to greenwash your brand or profit off their climate anxiety. Tie your conservation efforts to your business objectives and tell the “why” behind the word, giving readers a reason to love your brand.
Strategically communicating about your company’s sustainability initiatives can increase brand awareness, build culture, inspire brand loyalty, and create lasting change for our communities.
