Communicating ESG in the UK
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 UK 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 UK B2B ESG Communications professionals think?
For UK communications professionals, the risks and rewards of ESG are finely poised. Roughly equal proportions see various balances of risk and opportunity, though slightly more offer the positive but measured response of more of an opportunity, though with an element of risk.
We see a similar pattern with respect to how much ESG is embedded into communications strategies. Though fewer than average say it is a core part of their strategy, 19 percent agree it is one of their communications themes – that said, another 19 percent state that they avoid it wherever possible.
There is divergence however, between the emphasis on ESG in the communications strategy versus how important respondents view ESG for their organizations as a whole. An average proportion of respondents say ESG is a core strategic priority (15 percent), and fewer say it ranks as one of the organization’s strategic priorities (10 percent versus 13 percent average). Likewise, marginally fewer than average report that ESG is a ‘nice to have’ (17percent versus 19 percent average) or completely unimportant (14 percent versus 16 percent average). The largest segment of UK professionals (25 percent) see ESG as important, but not a strategic priority.
When asked if they personally cared about ESG factors, UK professionals again cleave to the middle. While a quarter care deeply about some aspects of ESG performance (versus 21 percent average), only 17 percent care about all aspects (versus 19 percent average). Fewer than average profess to care a little (16 percent versus 22 percent average) or not at all (18 percent versus 20 percent average).
To recap, UK communications professionals are cognizant of both the risks and rewards inherent to talking around ESG, and accordingly rank it among main themes in their communication strategy. If they don’t seem particularly gung-ho, that’s because they often don’t think their organization views ESG as a core strategic priority, and though they do on the whole care about ESG personally to some extent, they are not evangelical.
Is this what we would expect to see from UK professionals? Our ESG team thinks so: “The UK is a market where the conversation around ESG is relatively mature, as are the regulations covering the topic. The Advertising Standards Agency, for example, has been quick to crack the whip when it considers companies to have communicated poorly or misleadingly around ESG and sustainability topics. So, for UK professionals, maybe the initial rush of enthusiasm has waned and a more measured view has developed.”
Care and consequences: Are UK professionals properly supported?
We also asked whether communications and marketing professionals feel adequately supported in communicating around ESG. In this respect, UK B2B ESG communications 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.
Though more UK professionals are confident they have everything they need (21 percent), fewer than average have a ‘good degree’ of resources and more report they only have some of the resources necessary.
This relatively firm footing translates into good professional practice. We asked respondents to what degree they agreed 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 APAC region, UK professionals were most likely to disagree with this statement, indicating greater faith than their peers. Fewer respondents than average also agreed that they had been in such a tenuous position.
UK professionals should be encouraged that – though greater support is required – they are doing a good job of communicating with integrity around ESG on the whole.
Our ESG team comments: “No professional should be put in such a position and organizations need to ensure their comms and marketing teams have everything they need to communicate effectively and accurately on what can be a fraught topic. However, it seems that most are on the right track.”
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. In the UK, they are even less convinced of ESG’s longevity, with 56 percent saying so – behind only the USA (58 percent).
The UK also has the joint fewest respondents saying ESG is a permanent change to how we do business, and very few think ESG will evolve rather than disappear.
This lack of confidence in ESG’s future cannot be put down to quibbles around wording either. Nineteen percent of UK professionals say the term ‘ESG’ is fit for purpose; 23 percent say the term is fine but needs better messaging; and 23 percent think it needs a new name. These figures track in line with our averages, yet UK B2B ESG communications professionals express doubt that ESG will last – indicating their skepticism is due to the concept itself, not terminology.
Our ESG team reflects: “Professionals seem to think ESG is temporary, yet the steady accumulation of regulations relating to ESG and sustainability suggest it will stick around a while yet in one guise or another. The good news is that professionals seem diligent in communicating responsibly so are hopefully set for the future however it shakes out – though improvement is always welcome.”
Want to know more about the practical and strategic considerations for effectively communicating your ESG efforts? Download our ESG whitepaper.
Key takeaways:
A majority of UK respondents predict ESG will subside or disappear – only the US is more bullish on this. The UK also has the joint fewest respondents confident that ESG will persist in its current incarnation.
Do UK B2B ESG communications and marketing professionals think of ESG as more of a risk or opportunity?
UK respondents rate risk and opportunity roughly equally, with a marginal skew towards opportunity.
Do UK communications and marketing professionals care about ESG?
Fewer respondents than average say they don’t care, but relatively few report a deep passion for ESG as a whole.
Do UK communications and marketing professionals have enough resources and support to communicate around ESG?
There are pockets of good practice – more UK respondents than elsewhere report they have everything they need, though fewer than average say they have some of the required resources, and more than average say they lack the necessary resources.
Do UK communications and marketing professionals think ESG is here to stay?
A majority of UK respondents predict ESG will subside or disappear – only the US is more bullish on this. The UK also has the joint fewest respondents confident that ESG will persist in its current incarnation.
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.
Read more from this series:
Communicating ESG in B2B Financial Services & Capital Markets: what professionals really think
Communicating ESG in B2B Energy: what professionals really think
Communicating ESG in B2B Tech: what professionals really think
