Don’t Be Afraid to Get Graphic in Your CSR

Investors care about environmental and social (E & S) related KPIs and quantitative targets, yet simply providing this information without considering its presentation is not enough. E & S information contained in CSR reports, press releases, or ESG websites cannot just be part of an unending sea of words. To catch investors’ attention and adequately alert them to your company’s ESG progress, you should use fresh, visually appealing graphics. Graphs, charts, and illustrations not only ensure that your ESG achievements are noticed, but that investors can easily understand the data and see your company’s progress.

A few best practices to keep in mind when designing E & S visuals are:

  • Add color
  • Use graphs to make large numbers and significant quantities of data easy to understand
  • Illustrate your progress by using data from multiple years
  • Choose unique illustrations to make your visuals stand out

Here are some E & S visuals that have grabbed our attention:

L’Oreal’s Diversity and Inclusion website includes graphs with perfectly paired colors that connect back to the company’s product offering while also making its diversity metrics easier to understand.

LOreal
Source: L’Oreal

BorgWarner highlights its gender and ethnic diversity through bold graphs and unique illustrations that grab the reader’s attention while providing substantial detail. (See page 31)

Source: BorgWarner

Williams-Sonoma dedicates ample space in its Corporate Responsibility Scorecard to disclose ethnic and gender diversity in a way that is visually appealing and easy to understand, yet still detailed. (See page 28)

Regal Beloit utilizes engaging graphics to make its energy and consumption data, which spans multiple years and different countries, easy to grasp and interesting to look at. (See pages 33-34)

Source: Regal Beloit

Masco’s environmental graphs are simple yet strategic. These graphics present three-years of energy data and emissions metrics and utilize bright colors to draw attention to Masco’s most recent data and, ultimately, their environmental progress. (See page 2)

Source: Masco

General Motors draws attention to their environmental priorities and highlights their renewable energy commitments with fresh illustrations. (See pages 25 and 46)

Add Some Color to Your Disclosure

Disclosing data is just one step in the ESG journey. Ramp up your ESG disclosures by using strategic illustrations, graphs, and charts that catch stakeholders’ attention, highlight your progress and make your ESG story easy to understand.

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