SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES
regulation have raised the legal and reputational stakes for ESG statements.
Companies, particularly in politically charged sectors, are adopting more cautious language and are subjecting their disclosures to more rigorous legal and compliance reviews.
Charlene Lake, who retired as Chief Sustainability Officer at AT & T in July, believes reporting will remain central to the success of businesses.
“ Social and environment initiatives that are tied to the success of your business will continue to be in demand by stakeholders,” she says.
“ As long as a company continues to focus on that, it does not matter which administration is in place because you are delivering work and impact that is important to the success of your company. History has proven that.”
The integration trend A survey in May 2025 of 125 ESG executives by The Conference Board showed that climate communication is especially under scrutiny.
As a result, organisations are reassessing the tone and content of their reports, often shifting towards risk-based, financially material disclosures instead of broader aspirational narratives.
172 September 2025