Why is everyone talking about ESG?

Because $30.7 trillion is now invested in ESG funds and companies are realising that communicating they understand the importance of addressing ESG issues can unlock significant, and possibly previously untapped, capital from investors.

Over the past few years, we've had an increasing number of companies of different sizes and sectors seeking a bespoke ESG communication strategy. Here are some of the ways we’ve worked with our clients to help them identify and communicate ESG risks and opportunities to key stakeholders such as shareholders, potential investors and ratings agencies.

Sage: Enhancing their ESG rankings

Software company Sage wanted us to help improve their rankings in ESG by closing gaps in their reporting and improving disclosures in their website and other channels. Gap analysis against the reporting requirements of rankers and raters to improve scoring.

• We undertook a gap analysis against the reporting requirements of Sustainalytics, MSCI and ISS-ESG to identify a prioritised list of disclosures based on scoring methodology and weightings for each disclosure, to achieve the highest possible impact from a scoring perspective.
  
  
• We also provided a number of practical and tactical disclosure options for website and other collateral to ensure disclosures would be easily accessible to raters.
  
  
• The next steps include an ongoing website review and reorganising of the investor relations section of the website to surface the investment case and key ESG disclosures.

Notting Hill Genesis - Defining the material issues

• Notting Hill Genesis required a materiality assessment to prioritise the most pressing issues in terms of sustainability and ESG communications.
  
  
• 60 internal and external documents were reviewed, backed up by 5 stakeholder interviews, to identify the material issues.
  
  
• The issues were bundled under 3 pillars that formed part of the communications narrative development.
  
  
• The materiality assessment forms the basis of the structure of their inaugural sustainability report. 

easyJet: Providing a practical approach to comprehensive reporting

• We undertook research on the peer group’s approach to sustainability in terms of actions, commitments and ambitions to identify specific gaps in easyJet’s communication strategy.
  
  
• Reviewed peer’s content and channels to present how others are utilising the broader communications suite to deliver ESG messaging.
  
  
• We produced detailed wire-frames and content guidelines addressing each of the gaps identified, to enable easyJet to update content within the annual report, sustainability report and across digital channels. 

Schroders: Defining an ESG communications strategy and campaign creative

• We helped define a differentiated value proposition for Schroders. First providing an overview of how peers use terms such as ESG, sustainability and CSR, combined with a communications audit in order to assess Schroders current communications positioning.
  
  
• We then delivered a more granular review of Schroders’ Sustainability, ESG and CSR communications across key stakeholders and channels, to identify gaps, inconsistencies and overlaps to define a clear position for each topic and stakeholder.
  
  
• Finally we developed a campaignable idea and overarching messaging to communicate this differentiated positioning, to ensure clients understand Schroders are at the forefront of integrating ESG, in a consistent manner, across all funds.

Logicor - Shaping the first steps in ESG reporting

• Previously undeveloped, Logicor had bold ambitions for its sustainability communications in the build up to issuance of its first green bonds.
  
  
• Following detailed onboarding, we ran workshops with internal stakeholders to devise and uncover the ESG and broader sustainability strategy, material areas and approach to reporting communications with a focus on key audiences.
  
  
• With the strategy agreed, we developed both pagination and content structure before delivering detailed content guidelines and ultimately all of the copywritten content.
  
  
• In an accelerated timeline of two months, we delivered Logicor’s first ESG report and a strategy for ongoing, multi-channel sustainability communications.