Everything you wanted to know about ESG (but were too afraid to ask)

As budgets for 2024 are negotiated and agreed upon, communicators should continue to make the case for CSR and purpose-related work that galvanizes leaders across the enterprise to act on the things that matter most to all stakeholders. Chief among them is sustainability and the environmental, social and governance (ESG) trifecta. The devastating wildfires in Maui are but the latest example of why more stakeholders care about this work beyond what’s in annual reports and earning calls.

Still, communicating around ESG remains a discipline that many outside of corporate comms still know little about, and that’s a shame. Other communicators may help edit the ESG report or crowdsource employee stories about living green, but ask about ESG ratings or the wider regulatory implications and you’ll get a blank stare.

This is why I was so grateful for the chance to speak with Catherine Hernandez-Blades, SVP of Marketing and Communications at SAIC, during last fall’s Future of Communications conference. Hernandez-Blades is a hallowed authority on ESG comms, having held the title of Chief ESG & Communications Officer during her long tenure at Aflac, and continues to make this a key focus area of her work.

Here’s but a small morsel of the wisdom she shared.

Proximity and frequency drive urgency