74% of Communications Directors play an active role in the implementation and communication of ESG strategies.

But only 33.4% consider that the Dircoms are quite prepared in terms of corporate responsibility.

These are some of the insights that emerge from the study “ESG in words: the voice of sustainability”prepared by the Association of Communication Directors (Dircom) in collaboration with the research company Doxa. The objective of the report is to analyze the importance of ESG criteria in organizations and the role that communication plays in achieving them.

In this article we are going to highlight the most relevant and significant data on the trends of the influence of the management of communication in corporate responsibility, with the intention that they can serve as inspiration and be useful in your decision making when defining strategic lines.

It is worth mentioning beforehand that the study is based on more than 300 surveys to professionals and managers in the field of corporate communication. 40% of the responses correspond to communications directors of companies, agencies and other organizations.
The participants in the survey work in companies in sectors such as banking, food, telecommunications, health, tourism or telecommunications.

Below we present the main conclusions of the report:

The importance of ESG criteria

• The environment is the criterion that is most valued by those surveyed, with a 7.4 out of 10. This is followed by social criteria (6.8) and governance (6.4)
• 77.4% of companies do not sufficiently evaluate the impact of their sustainability strategies. The figure drops to 53% when communication directors respond.

From Dircom they point out that the data points, on the one hand, to the need to serve the governance areaand on the other, the importance of having tools for measuring results to communicate them with transparency.

The role of communication management

• 63% of those surveyed consider that The directors in Spain are little or not at all prepared in terms of ESG and corporate responsibility. Only 33.4% think that they are quite prepared.
• 38% of the participants indicate that communication directors are having a high or very high influence. 44% point out that this influence is intermediate.
• 74% of communications directors say that play an active role in the execution and communication of the ESG strategy of their organizations
• Almost 5 out of 10 directors lead or are part of companies’ sustainability committees
• 47% of directors participate in the definition of Non-Financial Information Statements linked to ESG. 61% participate in their communication.

Those responsible for the study point out that it is urgent to improve training of the directors of communication in matters of sustainability and the leadership of the directors in the interdepartmental committees that work on ESG. They also highlight the importance that company management gives to directors in ethical and transparent management.

Responsible communication

• The Environmental criteria are also those that receive the most importance in ESG communication, with a 7.8 out of 10. It is followed by social criteria and governance
• Respondents give a 7.7 out of 10 to the degree of influence of responsible ESG communication on society
• Participants place regulatory bodies as the most demanding stakeholders in ESG, followed by society and employees. The least demanding would be the shareholders and directors.
• 46% of those surveyed consider that organizations They are communicating more than they actually do on ESG. And 27% believe that there is a communication deficit
• On the other hand, 56% of directors consider that in their organization there is a balance between ESG communication and action
• For those surveyed, the credibility level of the companies does not reach 6 in transparency, government, environment and diversity. But the dircoms give a score of 7 to that credibility.
• Ethics, truthfulness, honesty and transparency are considered the most important values ​​of responsible communication

The report points out, once again, the need to strengthen communication in the area of ​​governance to gain credibility, and also to find the balance between communication and action. The importance of honest and data-based communication is reminded.

More info.: ESG in words: the voice of sustainability