There’s a Rise in Accountability on ESG Issues Coming; Here’s How Companies Can Handle It

[Editor’s Note: You’d think environment, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues might suffer during the pandemic, when survival takes priority.

Yet Hill+Knowlton Strategies’ new SVP and lead of its Better Impact consultancy Cathy Resler says ESG is thriving. The global crisis, she says, led people to look at their values. This collective gut-check allowed some companies to re-think how they act, including on ESG issues.

We asked the former head of purpose, strategy and sustainability at Porter Novelli about the implications of this. In addition, we asked about promoting ESG with reluctant leaders and her advice for how companies can react to a rise in accountability in the wake of George Floyd’s killing. And, as she formerly headed global sustainability and social impact at Ocean Spray, we asked Resler to compare working in ESG at a brand vs at an agency. Her remarks were edited for space and clarity.]