When it comes to ESG communications, it can be difficult to know where to start. Despite seeming like a daunting task, implementing an ESG communications strategy is essential for building loyalty, attracting new customers and assuring stakeholders. 

But what is the best starting point? What approach should you be taking and what should you be including in your strategy? Read on to find out! 

Define your objectives

Like any business strategy, your ESG communications strategy should clearly define your objectives and target audience, and these should align with those of the wider business. By doing this, it will be much easier to ensure your resources and communications efforts are put in the right place and reaching the right people.

When it comes to objectives, it’s important that these are clear, concise and, most importantly, specific. It is not enough to set vague goals, such as being more environmentally friendly or diverse – ESG scrutiny is very common, and you need to reduce the chance of this as much as possible. It is therefore important to ensure both the ESG objectives and communications objectives are strong and clearly defined.

By dedicating some time to ensure this, it will be easier to get your message across to the people you want to reach and make a real, measurable difference.

Combine data with a human approach

One of the most common ways to communicate your ESG achievements is through reporting and data. According to a recent Sustainalytics survey, annual ESG reporting is the most frequent use for ESG ratings by companies, with 28% disclosing their ESG progress in such reports.

Despite this being a popular and effective way to communicate ESG credentials, it’s also important to tailor your messaging to have a human approach. When sharing your story, it needs to capture people’s attention and help them to see the real-life impact of your work.

For example, you could share personal stories from employees about how your business has supported them, or you could compare statistics to real-life scenarios, such as saving enough energy to power X for X hours. 

Transparency is key

Whilst it can be easy to jump right into your ESG communications and feel a sense of urgency to get the message out there, you need to remember that effective communications take time. 

 Try to avoid overstating your progress in order to demonstrate positive momentum, as this can leave you very vulnerable to scrutiny and allegations of greenwashing. Authenticity is key – it’s completely acceptable to acknowledge that your business is at the start of its ESG journey and outline your goals for the future, rather than claiming that you already have everything figured out.

Transparency is key to building trust with your stakeholders, so providing a clear view of where you are in your ESG journey will demonstrate commitment to your stakeholders and help motivate your teams to improve.

Focus on internal, as well as external

It can be easy to overlook internal communications when creating an ESG communications strategy but actually, your employees are one of your greatest assets.

Getting your people engaged in ESG initiatives can help to deliver results that your business is striving to achieve, but how will they know about it if it isn’t communicated to them?

Whether it’s through team meetings, regular newsletters or fundraising events, try to maximise engagement from your team members as much as possible and make them aware of all your ESG initiatives, so they’re in the know and can get involved.

If you’re looking for practical support from an integrated Birmingham or Brisbane communications consultancy when it comes to starting or enhancing your ESG communications journey, we have a wealth of experience in doing just that.

We’d love to hear from you, so please drop our team a line at esg@weareliquid.com.