Communicating About Societal Impact: ESG communication

How to plan and implement communication programs that communicate about environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives.

Course description:

This two-day virtual course reinforces the importance of developing and implementing purposeful communication and teaches communication professionals a number of practical ways they can improve the way they communicate their organisation’s social impact and performance. Explore how to communicate with stakeholders more openly and build trusted internal and external relationships.

What to expect:

• Align your communication efforts with ESG outcomes
• Build measures and develop ROI for your ESG communication efforts
• Increase your perceived value within the organisation

• Understand what drives societal value for stakeholders in today's communication environment

Who should attend:

Communication professionals working in corporate social responsibility, government relations, issues management, strategic communication, corporate communication, internal communication, external communication, corporate affairs or public relations. Those leading teams, ESG projects, or having to influence others about ESG within the organisation.

Career Level: Foundation, Generalist/Specialist, Strategic Advisor

Course outline:

Upon completion of this course you’ll be able to:

• Build alignment between ESG and communication outcomes
• Develop a clear understanding of what drives ESG value for stakeholders 
• Know the elements of a strategically focused ESG communication plan
• Mobilise employee ambassadors 
• Explore best practices, principles, processes and implementation elements designed to equip you with the knowledge and expertise to deliver business results
  

Day 1

The changing stakeholder environment 

• From sustainability and CSR to ESG
• The state of trust and the context of relationships
• Use audience insight to inform your ESG strategy

Find your ESG story 

• The Communication Value Circle 
• Communicating a purposeful culture
  
• Integrate ESG into your communication
  
• Communicating ESG metrics 

Build a top employer brand 

• Align your mission, vision, purpose and values
• Listen and respond to what motivates your employees 
• Mobilise employee ambassadors 

Embrace digital dialogue 

• Communicate your ESG messages on social media 
• Activate social listening 
• The highly social CEO (and other leaders)

Day 2

Build your ESG communication strategy  

• Define your ROI
• Align your ESG communication strategy with ESG business needs
• Apply the right measures to your strategy 
• Implement, embed and monitor your strategy

Get your stakeholders on board

• Explore stakeholder management and the lessons to learn
• Influencing and coaching through your strategy 

Put it all into practice 

• Explore a case study and build an ESG communication strategy 
• Develop a rollout plan

About the trainer

Sia Papageorgiou FRSA, SCMP

Sia Papageorgiou is managing partner at the Centre for Strategic Communication Excellence. She’s a multi-award-winning communication leader on a mission to elevate the value and visibility of communication professionals and help them become trusted, strategic, and in-demand advisors. Sia is opinionated about what our profession can achieve and believes communication professionals have the best job in the world. She’s a certified strategic communication management professional, a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, and past president of the Victorian chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). She’s also a past board director at IABC Asia-Pacific and is immediate past chair of the Global Communication Certification Council. In 2021, IABC Asia-Pacific named Sia Communicator of the Year and in 2022 she was awarded the prestigious IABC Rae Hamlin Award in recognition of her exemplary service in advocating the Global Standard of the Communication Profession and evangelising the power and possibility of communication.