ESG is not a campaign, it’s a strategy – The new face of sustainability in corporate communications

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 04. 09. 11:26

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations are now not only legal requirements, but also the cornerstones of brand credibility and consumer trust. According to Gabriella Liptay, Marketing and Communications Director at KPMG, the real competitive advantage is enjoyed by companies that think long-term, responsibly and authentically – they not only communicate, but also act.

Sustainability has long been more than just a fashionable phrase, but also a competitiveness issue – especially for companies operating in the international market. In an interview with Pénzcentrum, Gabriella Liptay, Marketing Director at KPMG, pointed out that ESG-related communication is only credible if it is supported by real corporate commitment and operational changes.

Credibility is the currency of the future

“Some companies still only meet the mandatory minimum on the ESG front,”

says Liptay, who has been working in the communications industry for more than three decades. He believes that truly forward-thinking organizations think long-term and focus not only on legal compliance, but also on creating real social and environmental value.

The 2015 KPMG CEO Outlook survey showed that CEOs hardly considered environmental risks important. By 2024, this had completely changed: almost a quarter of managers already fear a competitive disadvantage if they do not meet ESG requirements.

The report is not the goal, just the mirror

ESG reports are useful tools, but they are not a substitute for the underlying processes, warns Liptay. Moreover, the industry and geographical differences in ESG standards pose additional challenges: due to the lack of global uniformity, many companies follow their own priorities and internal norms. This, in turn, can lead to inconsistencies in communication.

“The ESG report is a mirror, not the content itself. Audience expectations are constantly changing, and this requires a coherent, responsible and credible communication system,”

he adds.