4 ways to align an impactful ESG strategy with business goals

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🗞️ Driving the news: Aligning ESG strategies with business goals can be challenging, but there are four key ways to bridge the gap: shifting timelines, sharing ownership, refining pitches, and maintaining conviction
• These strategies help sustainability leaders integrate long-term ESG goals with short-term commercial priorities
• Success requires engagement across business units and proactive collaboration with leadership

🔭 The context: Many sustainability leaders face resistance from company executives and other stakeholders when introducing ESG initiatives, as these are often seen as conflicting with financial goals
• Companies like Etsy have successfully navigated this tension by embedding sustainability into broader corporate functions and aligning reporting cycles with business KPIs

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: ESG strategies drive positive environmental and social impact, but their success depends on being integrated into the core of business operations
• Aligning these efforts can accelerate corporate action on climate and sustainability

⏭️ What's next: Sustainability leaders must continue to balance ESG and business objectives by engaging stakeholders, adapting strategies to company goals, and building resilience to pushback

💬 One quote: "Loyalty to my company is very important, but I firmly believe that my first level of loyalty is really to the issues, to driving positive social and environmental impact" – Chelsea Mozen, Etsy’s Senior Director of Impact and Sustainability

📈 One stat: According to a 2023 PwC survey, 83% of business leaders said they expect ESG programs to generate more shareholder value in the next five years

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