HONG KONG, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/-- PR Newswire today released its ESG Communications Handbook, the company's first whitepaper dedicated to Environmental, Social, and Governance communications in Asia-Pacific.

This handbook, which is a resource for investor relations professionals, public relations professionals and board secretaries, covers the importance of ESG and information disclosure by listed companies, shares how companies can develop effective strategies and offers best practices on communicating ESG activities to the media.

Download the PR Newswire's ESG Communication Handbook here.

ESG initiatives can shape and influence investors and the public's perception of brands. In recent years, more listed companies are starting to pay attention to crafting ESG strategies and publishing data. The pandemic has accelerated interest in this burgeoning field, with more companies showing their commitment to areas such as sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

In the first half of 2021, PR Newswire distributed a growing number of press releases related to topics such as climate change and carbon neutrality across the APAC region. The number of releases distributed increased from 23 in January to 284 in June. Industries that are more active in ESG communications include energy, business technology, industrial automation, health/medical/biotech, consumer products and retail, and finance and insurance.

Click here to download PR Newswire's ESG Communications Handbook or start with the key takeaways below.

Ten pointers:

The ESG Communications Handbook shares ten pointers on how brands can develop effective strategies. They include having employees as ESG ambassadors, who are excited to advocate for their company, as well as considering the long-term benefits of socially responsible efforts. One of them is having a robust workforce strategy that improves employee engagement and attracts high-quality talent, which boosts productivity and leads to a virtuous cycle of higher profitability.

Eight trendsetters:

How are companies leading the way when it comes to ESG communications? Some have set standards in the quality of sustainability disclosures, while others have linked senior executive bonus payouts to the attainment of ESG goals, and improved employee benefits in the wake of a pandemic. The handbook shares best practices from eight global companies from the investment, technology, consumer electronics, finance, manufacturing, and energy industries.

Three strategies:

PR and IR professionals can establish a strong ESG communications strategy by consistently integrating it in their daily management and operations. We find out best practices from two leading companies, Microsoft and Ping An Insurance Group.

Eight types of content:

Over the past two years, PR Newswire has distributed a growing number of ESG-related press releases in Asia-Pacific. We identified eight common types of press releases to help brands craft news angles for their news. These include announcing key wins at industry awards, and sharing results of initiatives such as building environmentally friendly factories and introducing green solutions.

Rounding out the handbook, we invited two IR professionals to share their insights into ESG communications. Dr Eva Chan, Founding Chairman and Fellow Member of Hong Kong Investor Relations Association. She says: "With regard to sustainability reporting, I would like to see more companies not only highlight positive aspects of their performance but also negative aspects such as where they have missed targets. I think The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (HKEX)'s 'comply or explain' regulations will go some way to addressing this issue."

Richard Sheng, Secretary of Board of Directors and Brand Director at Ping An Insurance (Group) Co. of China Ltd., a company dually listed on the HKEX and the Shanghai Stock Exchange, says, "ESG is an important tool for financial enterprises to support societal progress. Ping An strives for transparency, openness, timeliness and credibility in the disclosure of ESG information. We will continue to share our ESG practices with investors, customers, the media, and governments to help investors make informed decisions."

For more trends and best practices on developing an effective ESG communications strategy, download PR Newswire's ESG Communications Handbook here.

About PR Newswire

PR Newswire, a Cision Ltd. company, is a leading global provider of news distribution and earned media software and services. In conjunction with Cision's cloud-based communications product suite, PR Newswire's services enable marketers, corporate communicators, and investor relations officers to identify key influencers, engage target audiences, craft and distribute strategic content, and measure meaningful impact. Combining the world's largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content dissemination network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire powers the stories of organizations around the world. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific regions. Visit www.prnasia.com for more information.

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