ESG – Environmental, Social and Governance – has been thrust into the spotlight during COVID-19 and amid a deepening climate crisis. Telum spoke to Su-Yen Wong, Chair at Singapore Institute of Directors; Robin Hicks, Deputy Editor at Eco-Business; Elliot Wilson, Greater China Editor and Private Banking and Wealth Management Editor at Euromoney and Darrell Wright, Managing Director, APAC at Cognito to share their perspectives on ESG from comms, the Boardroom and the newsroom.

Key highlights include:

• “There are rising pressures from consumers which is translating to pressures on companies to do something about it… also awareness level in the community which is then translating into regulatory pressures,” said Darrell when asked about the growing popularity of ESG.
• “The ‘G’ is at the top of the pyramid - you have to get that right in order to get all the other elements right,” stressed Su-Yen, when asked about the importance of governance in ESG.
• Robin cited honesty, transparency and credible data as factors that can pique journalists’ interests to pick up ESG stories.
• “The more the (virtue) signalling that you’re doing something well, usually the more inversely proportioned to the actual doing of your thing,” said Elliot when asked about how journalists see through ESG expertise in a company.
• “Sustainability is quite a depressing subject, so we look out for the occasional positive stories about solutions to big problems,” said Robin on ESG reporting.
• Darrell addressed that comm teams plays a role in ensuring the news and views of an organisation are reaching the market, but they have to guide the Boards in formulating ESG strategies.
• “Moving forward there will be greater pressure from regulators, institutional shareholders as well as activist investors that will force Boards to act…I think it’s a journey, it’s a spectrum - you are going to see some that are on one end of the spectrum and others at the other end,” said Su-Yen on the results she’s expecting to see from companies embracing ESG.