Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)

The three cultural dimensions that are shaping attitudes, perceptions and behaviour around ESG in the local markets

The culture of ESG in the US

The culture of ESG in Brazil

The culture of ESG in South Africa

The cultures of ESG in China

Established in 2023, the Ipsos ESG Council brings together senior level executives with responsibility for sustainability and the development of ESG best practice from some of the most respected corporations in the world.

Here we explore the changing role of the CSO and what this tells us about how organisations are responding to the challenges of ESG and sustainability.

While the concepts that sit behind ESG are certainly not new - and have been at the centre of corporate strategy for decades - the growth and formalisation of ESG as an explicit mission have been catalysts for change. The impacts of this change are far reaching including how companies define, prioritise and manage their stakeholders. This is demonstrated by the rise of stakeholder capitalism, the notion that businesses no longer exist to create profit for shareholders/owners, but instead have a responsibility to create value for a much broader set of stakeholders.

When it comes to creating an end-to-end strategic shift in the alignment of ESG with commercial objectives, business leaders have many considerations to take into account. How to ensure ESG feeds into the business planning and value creation process? Do the ESG commitments truly deliver on the ‘North Star’ that is corporate purpose. What are the expectations of stakeholders (both inside and outside the organisation), and how do you balance competing priorities and expectations? How do you ensure the goals you set are ambitious and impactful, and that your reporting addresses the needs of double materiality (financial and ESG data)?