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Communications Services: Address Increasing Investor, Stakeholder Pressure

Published Date

Highlights

  • Action on sustainability isn’t enough – it must be proactively communicated to satisfy pressures from investors, employees, and competitors.
  • Service builds on the company’s existing suite of energy and sustainability consulting solutions and is the culmination of more than a decade of partnerships on corporate communications.

Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today announced its Communications Service, a strategic addition to the firm’s existing suite of energy and sustainability consulting services. The growing service is designed to deliver a holistic solution to the increasing need for companies to be transparent and proactive on their energy, sustainability, and climate action targets and progress to satisfy investors and stakeholders. The integrated service supports customers’ marketing, communications, and reputational needs.

“Taking meaningful action on environment, social, and governance (ESG) issues has become ‘table stakes’ for corporations today, who are acting in response to increasing pressure from investors, talent, and customers,” said Steve Wilhite, Senior Vice President, Schneider Electric. “However, many of these same organizations aren’t leveraging their ESG efforts for effective communication – an essential component of any program in an increasingly competitive and ambitious sustainability landscape.”

Research conducted by Schneider Electric and GreenBiz media group indicates that, while companies are taking action on energy and sustainability at an increasing rate, communication plays a vital role in success. The research found that companies that publicly announce their goals go faster in achieving them, and when more ambitious goals are communicated, research respondents felt more confident that their goals would be successful.

The pressure to be more transparent about ESG progress is also ratcheting up globally. Earlier this year, the U.S. Security & Exchange Commission (SEC) announced the creation of a climate and ESG-focused task force. The task force is charged with ferreting out so-called “greenwashing” to ensure consistent and valid disclosure and communications on climate risks. Similar measures are under consideration in other countries. Investors, such as BlackRock, have also made clear that companies without clear targets and action on climate change, in particular, face scrutiny and censure.

However, taking action alone isn’t enough: communicating more proactively and openly on those actions has become a new imperative, which Schneider’s communications service is designed to address.

With its communication service, Schneider Electric builds leadership and credibility, safeguards reputation, and provides energy and sustainability expertise to companies wherever they are on their sustainability journey. Services span strategy, reporting, promotion, and engagement, including but not limited to:

  • Strategize

    • Competitive market analysis and benchmarking
    • ESG narrative development
    • Executive talking points and stakeholder briefs

  • Report

    • Existing ESG report analysis and review
    • Early-stage ESG report creation
    • Fully managed, GRI-compliant ESG reporting

  • Promote

    • Global PR and media engagement
    • “Clean claims” messaging assurance
    • Custom campaigns and asset creation

  • Engage

    • Marketing for enterprise-level change
    • Portfolio program deployment
    • Customer stakeholder campaign creation

Schneider Electric, which was named the world’s most sustainable corporation in 2021 by Corporate Knights in February, has already supported its clients’ communications efforts for more than a decade. Examples of these partnerships include Digital Realty, Fifth Third Bank, Maple Leaf Foods, and Signify among others.

“Increasingly, we see conviction from our customers and owners, among other stakeholders, not only to take action on sustainability but to share our vision and goals publicly,” said CEO Ian Robb of the Vita Group. “Schneider Electric has been a valuable partner in the construction and implementation of our sustainability narrative.”

The Schneider Electric team includes ISOS-certified Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) report writers, certified sustainability and climate change professionals, and MBAs in marketing and organizational change management throughout North America and Europe.

Join experts from Schneider Electric for a webinar on July 22, 10:00 a.m. EDT to talk about the importance and urgency of using ESG as a means to advance organizational reputation and awareness – and why any sustainability efforts must include a communications strategy. Register here.

For more information about Schneider Electric’s consulting services, please visit schneider-electric.com/ess. For energy and sustainability news, and insights on trends and best practices, visit Perspectives and follow Schneider Electric Energy & Sustainability Services on LinkedIn.