CEOs aren’t abandoning their ESG plans—but they are changing the language they use to defend them

But here’s the thing: I still can’t find a big company that is backing off its ESG plans. Earlier this week, I moderated a virtual call among members of the Fortune Impact Initiative, which included around 50 top executives at large companies who are responsible for ESG. Not one of them reported changing their ESG-related plans. 

So what are they doing? Getting better at defining and explaining their policies, both inside and outside the company. And where necessary, they are changing the language they use to defend them.

I can’t quote attendees at the off-the-record session. But I can report a few clear takeaways. Some of the participants believe that ESG rankings and ratings have taken the ESG effort in the wrong direction, making it a kind of check-the-box, scorecard exercise. They argue instead that companies should focus on policies that are closely tied to their own business and clearly designed to help their business sustain itself in the future. Taking care of the communities you operate in helps ensure those communities will allow you to operate in the future. Recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce is essential to acquiring the best talent in a labor-constrained world. And focusing on how your company can meaningfully contribute to the climate transition is a way to create value in a business world that is clearly committed to that transition. In short, companies need to do a better job making it clear this is not about politics; it’s about good, long-term business.

The Fortune Impact Initiative is sponsored by Everfi, a platform for workplace training, and is designed to be a forum where executives can trade knowledge and best practices in the rapidly evolving field of ESG. You can find more information and apply for membership here (or just send me a note.) Separately, take time this morning to read about Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s pep talk to dispirited employees, here. “This is not work that’s going to take one or two months,” he said. “We’re going to make progress, meaningful progress every month. But this will take many months, and I’m quite confident that we will be misunderstood and we will be underrated.”

More news below.

Alan Murray
@alansmurray
alan.murray@fortune.com

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This edition of CEO Daily was edited by David Meyer.