21 As companies work to create solutions and share progress, they must ensure not to leave anyone behind. Environmental, social and governance initiatives, and ESG investing in particular, continue to make headlines, including recent backlash around whether companies and ESG funds are ultimately delivering on their promise. That said, the broader concept of ESG, that companies should take a holistic approach to understanding the impact they have on employees, customers and the communities where they operate, has never been more important. This is an area where companies must find the right balance between showing their work and focusing on the human impact. For example, sharing hard data and making clear and accurate net-zero calculations is extremely important, but companies also must remember to not get lost behind the math. They need to show how those numbers will help people—especially the world’s most vulnerable people. In other words, they must lean into the “social” part—the “S” in ESG. For instance, WE Communication’s April 2022 research finds that when business leaders were asked to name the top three actions that brands should take to address climate change, 69% of survey respondents said brands should invest in projects that protect jobs and livelihoods of communities most impacted by climate change. By telling the stories of how their work is helping—and providing the tangible, human impacts of their efforts—brands can show how effective their work is. For instance, a company that wants to show it’s not simply working to tackle climate change but also advocating for climate justice can provide strong proof of how exactly it is alleviating the impact of a heating planet on vulnerable populations right now . A CEO who declares a commitment to building a diverse team can follow up to show how that plan is taking shape—the mobility-impaired employee who can navigate the office