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Communicating ESG in APAC

05.12.24

Estimated read time: 6 minutes

Our recent whitepaper, Marketing ESG in 2024: Risks, Rewards & Riddles, lifted the lid on what marketeers and comms professionals really thought about ESG in their roles. In this follow-up, we take a look specifically at the APAC data from the wider research.

The original survey polled 418 senior marketing decision makers across the energy, financial services and technology sectors, split evenly across the APAC, Middle East, UK and US Markets.

Attitudes to ESG: What do APAC B2B ESG communications professionals think?

In a word, they are equinaminous. When asked if ESG is more of a risk or opportunity from a communications perspective, APAC professionals are more even handed than their international peers. Twenty-seven percent see risk and reward as evenly balanced (versus 20 percent average), and fewer are bullish on both high risk and high opportunity.

However, this measured assessment shouldn’t be confused with a lack of engagement – APAC professionals lead their peers in incorporating ESG into their communication strategies – 27 percent state it is a core element – far in excess of the 17 percent average, and of their UK and US colleagues (13 and 10 percent respectively). Twenty-one percent also view ESG as strategically important to their organization overall, beyond the communications and marketing function. By contrast, only 15 percent say ESG is not important at all.

In short, we find that ESG is a strategic business and communications priority for a significant minority of APAC professionals – a minority marginally greater than those with the opposite view. This measured approach is also reflected in personal views – 61 percent of respondents say they care at least a little about ESG factors (versus 62 percent average) – however, fewer APAC respondents ‘care deeply about all aspects of ESG performance’ (12 percent versus 19 percent average, the lowest of all regions), while more report that they ‘care a little’ versus their international peers (28 percent versus 22 percent average, the highest of all regions).

Louise Veitch, Head of Southeast Asia at Aspectus, comments: “ESG is a newer concept in the region than elsewhere, but it’s clearly a growing concern. Since the survey for example, the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants has proposed sustainability reporting standards – part of a pattern of incremental steps to incorporate ESG throughout the region.”

Care and consequences: Are APAC professionals properly supported?

We also asked whether communications and marketing professionals feel adequately supported in APAC B2B ESG communications. In this respect, professionals feel exposed: only 37 percent believe they have a good degree or all the resources they need to do their job effectively, while 43 percent believe the opposite. Twenty-one percent even report a severe lack of resources.

APAC professionals seem to be on slightly surer footing. Though only 17 percent report they have everything they need (versus 18 percent average), more professionals are confident they have a good degree of resources and senior support (23 percent versus 18 percent average). An extra source of encouragement: APAC professionals are less likely to report a lack of resources (18 percent versus 22 percent average), or a severe lack of resources (19 percent versus 21 percent average).

This seems to translate to confidence in their output. We asked respondents to what degree they agreed or disagreed with the following statement: “There have been occasions where we have had to communicate around ESG (on our organizations’ behalf or our clients’), when I have not felt the message has been fully justified or appropriate”. 

Alongside the UK, APAC professionals were most likely to disagree with this statement, suggesting greater faith than their peers. Fewer respondents agreed that they had been in such a tenuous position than elsewhere.

Together, these findings suggest that – though there remains much to do – APAC professionals feel themselves on firmer ground with regards to communicating around ESG than their peers.

Veitch offers: “Perhaps professionals feel less of this pressure as ESG is at an earlier stage of spread and deployment in the region, or perhaps oraganizations are learning lessons from the frontrunners and implementing in a more careful way. Either way, it puts APAC professionals in a good position to maintain healthy practices.”

Facing the future: Is ESG here to stay?

According to 47 percent of our global respondents, ESG is a passing trend that will disappear, or at least subside. On this, APAC professionals are in-step with their peers – 48 percent say the same. What’s more, fewer (19 percent) than average (28 percent) think ESG will evolve rather than disappear.

Overall, this seems a bleak prognosis. However, the average figures mask a stark difference between East and West. In the UK and US, 56 and 58 percent of respondents respectively support the passing fad hypothesis, with the Middle East as a significant countweight at 32 percent. Therefore, APAC appears to be almost dead-on average, but in fact occupies the more optimistic side of an East-West divide.

APAC B2B ESG communications professionals are also marginally more likely to think that ESG is a lasting change in how business is conducted – 11 percent of APAC respondents say so versus nine percent overall.

What are we to make of this? Versus the overall average, marginally more APAC professionals profess pessimism about ESG’s longevity, yet a small cadre seem to be more bullish than their peers.

According to Veitch, this could be down to momentum in the region: “It’s clear – both from the survey and our interactions with clients – that ESG is capturing the imagination of some organizations that are really pushing forward. Others are yet to be fully convinced, but if momentum continues, we may see the pendulum swing the other way.”

This chimes with the fact that APAC professionals broadly track their peers with around 40 percent happy with the ‘ESG’ term to some extent, but a quarter arguing that the concept needs a new name. Only 13 percent advocate for ditching the topic entirely though, so we shouldn’t be too quick to bet on ESG’s disappearence or demise.

Want to know more about the practical and strategic considerations for effectively communicating your ESG efforts? Download our ESG whitepaper.

Key takeaways:

Do APAC B2B ESG communications and marketing professionals think of ESG as more of a risk or opportunity?

APAC professionals are more balanced in their view than their international peers. Fewer are confident in saying ESG is either primarily an opportunity or risk.

Do APAC communications and marketing professionals care about ESG?

To an extent, yes. Fewer respondents elsewhere care deeply about all aspects of ESG, though more proclaim to care a little about at least some aspects.

Do APAC communications and marketing professionals have enough resources and support to communicate around ESG?

Across the board, our respondents report needing greater support and resourcing to communicate effectively around ESG. APAC professionals however, are more likely to report they have what they need, and less likely to report a lack.

Do APAC communications and marketing professionals think ESG is here to stay?

They are more likely to think so than their Western peers in the UK and US, however a significant minority still think ESG will subside or disappear.

About the author:

Chris Bowman is an Associate Director at Aspectus and co-leads Aspectus’ ESG services. His experience is primarily in the energy and financial services sectors, and Chris specializes in brand strategy and messaging. He recently completed a short course on Sustainability Communication Strategies from the LSE.