By: Paul Tolme

Paul Tolme — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 22:13:02 +0000

As a Comms professional who previously worked as an environment and climate writer I urge you to ditch ESG. That is, if your Comms goal is to drive progress on climate action—which is the everything problem. Because while it seems that ESG means something noble it actually means nothing. Like sustainability it has no agreed upon definition, even among practitioners of ESG, much less with the public, and there are no legally binding certification standards. That means a company can claim anything is ESG. It IS greenwashing by definition. If you’re a Comms professional who actually cares about helping your brands or corporation or organization communicate their good deeds then use your individual agency and powers of persuasion to encourage your executives and C Suite suits to electrify your fleets or put a solar array on the roof or better yet help elect politicians who support government action at the scale needed to transition off fossil fuels. Ask them to stop with duplicitous actions like supporting climate obstructionist politicians and trade groups like the US Chamber of Commerce while touting your purchase of worthless carbon offsets or your plastics recycling campaigns or (fill in the blank small-ball initiative). Corporate sustainability for the most part is not only greenwashing it is complicit in the worsening climate crisis. Decades of ESG initiatives show this to be true, because all the while carbon emissions continue to rise with no declines in sight while we debate what words to use. Look to Aspen One—yes the ski resort company,—or Patagonia, for examples of real and meaningful climate action. Don’t be complicit in the big lie that capitalism will save us. Follow Auden Schendler of AspenOne on LinkedIn for an example of what meaningful climate comms look like. Better to greenhush and say nothing if your brands are doing nothing meaningful to reduce carbon emissions or to push the system change required. https://vimeo.com/1029437298

Comments on: Why the United Nations Global Compact CCO says you shouldn’t give up on ESG communications

By: Paul Tolme