Print the template in A4 or a larger format. If you’re planning to do this exercise with your team, print the template in a larger format and use sticky notes. Alternatively, you can copy the template into Miro (or a similar tool) and fill it in online.

Have a list of all your sustainability initiatives ready to discuss. Pick an impact pillar from your ESG plan and fill in the top two sections of the tool. As an example, if you choose the Community pillar, you’ll be mapping out corporate citizenship, team volunteering, and local hiring initiatives.

Tip: Don’t have this full ESG map available? Begin mapping all your company’s action items linked to ESG with the Quest Impact Scan tool. Download it here!

We invite you to analyze your current sustainability communications. If you look at the overview of your actions, what should you talk about more? Are there things you don’t mention at all? There can be multiple reasons to communicate more about a topic: to be 100% compliant, to be fully transparent or to gain your consumers’ trust.

Tip: this is where benchmarking your actions will come in handy.

Map all your relevant stakeholders, identifying and categorizing individuals, groups, or organizations that are impacted by your operations, decisions, and initiatives.

Which claims were vague? Begin attaching the numbers to the claims. Do you have a figure or report that proves your statements? Have you checked your resource’s resources? 

ESG is a complex topic that is constantly changing.  In this last section work through these questions: Will the audiences listed above understand your claims and statements? Where will they go to look for this information? Is it accessible to them? Are these claims vague, dishonest, unsupported or exaggerated?

Will you have to educate your audiences? If so, how will you do that? Your ESG communication plan may just be needing a training guide to get everyone up to speed. Align your communications plan to your proven claims.