ESG Across Borders: The Cultural Context
Foreword
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is a broad and complex domain that encompasses various themes. Understanding how society evolves on ESG requires a deep dive into the nuances of each topic. ESG is critical due to its pressing and urgent nature, and many topics are interconnected, making it challenging to address them in isolation.
Key Learnings
- Sustainability Perception: The term "sustainability" has a stronger association with environmental topics compared to social or governance topics. Different countries interpret the term differently.
- Inequality: Perceptions of inequality vary significantly across countries. Governments are widely seen as the primary responsibility for reducing inequality.
- Climate Change: There is a shared global belief that all countries need to collaborate to tackle climate change, but some feel they are being asked to sacrifice too much.
- Cultural Dimensions:
- Relationship with Nature: Cultures either view nature as something to conquer or coexist with.
- Agency: Who is perceived to have the best agency to drive impact and make a difference.
- Priorities: Whether benefits are prioritized for the world at large or for individual and local communities.
- Vocabulary Matters: Language plays a crucial role in shaping perceptions and expectations.
What Does “Sustainability” Mean to People?
- Frequency of Mentions: The term "sustainability" is increasingly used in social media conversations.
- Top Associations:
- Environment: Dominates the top associations, with "affordable and clean energy" topping the list at 28%.
- Health and Wellbeing: "Access to clean water and nutritious food" and "ensuring good health and wellbeing" rank 7th and 8th.
- Other Topics: Poverty, inequality, productive employment, inclusivity, education, peace, and justice are lower on the list.
Key Conversation Topics
- Environmental Issues: Topics such as combatting climate change, sustainable packaging, and electric vehicles.
- Social Issues: Poverty, inequality, and education.
- Governance: Issues related to responsible governance and institutions.
Summary
This report highlights the diverse interpretations of ESG across different cultures. Environmental themes are the most strongly associated with sustainability, followed by health and wellbeing. However, perceptions of inequality and the need for collective action on climate change vary significantly. Cultural dimensions, including views on nature, agency, and priorities, play a crucial role in shaping these perceptions. The frequency of mentions and key conversation topics underscore the importance of these themes in global discourse.
