While the media industry remains busy feeding prompts into ChatGPT, other pressing matters require human attention.
PROI Worldwide has released Beyond ESG: Global Perspectives on Communicating Impact, revealing that despite the noise around artificial intelligence, the socio-political landscape remains the primary battlefield for brands in 2026.
The global network’s latest report gathers insights from agency leaders across 11 countries, including Sydney-based ImpactInstitute.
It suggests that Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards have graduated from the ‘nice to have’ bucket to a critical metric of success.
Moving past the buzzwords
Companies now face judgment on their values as strictly as their financial margins. Managing Director of ImpactInstitute, Paula Cowan, notes that local pressures make this particularly acute down under.
“ESG communication is transforming at a global scale in response to public expectations and a changing political and legal landscape,” says Ms Cowan. “The report shows that this is particularly true in Australia where there is greater political, legal and social pressure for organisations to ‘walk the talk’ and prove their ethical claims.”
The report highlights that while some companies are quietly backing away from the specific acronym to avoid political crossfire, the core principles remain.
Sustainability and equity are not disappearing from the boardroom agenda simply because the terminology has become a political football.
When organisations intentionally hide or downplay their genuine environmental efforts and sustainability progress… it’s ‘greenhushing’
The greenhushing dilemma
Navigating this space requires a steady hand. Agencies must help clients avoid the well-known sin of greenwashing, but also the newer trend of ‘greenhushing’, where brands stay silent on their achievements to avoid scrutiny.
Authenticity is now a strategic imperative. The report suggests that winning companies articulate their impact credibly without overstatement.
“The opportunity for organisations is to connect their understanding and measurement of impact to their communications to articulate progress with clarity and credibility,” adds Ms Cowan.
Proof over promises
One key takeaway is that vague optimism is out. Data is in. Ted Deutsch, Chair of PROI’s ESG Working Group, suggests the market now demands receipts.
“While certain markets are shying away from acronyms and terms that are seen as overly political, this PROI report confirms that companies are still focused on driving change through sustainability, corporate culture and good governance,” said Mr Deutsch.
Ted Deutsch, Chair of PROI’s ESG Working Group
Welcome to the Impact Era
The report covers perspectives from markets as diverse as Brazil, the Czech Republic, and the UAE. Despite regional nuances, the consensus is that corporate purpose now defines corporate performance.
Ms Cowan dubs this current timeline the ‘Impact Era.’
“The growing demand in Australia for organisations to act with purpose has led to a time when acting on sustainability, equality and other social issues is non-negotiable,” says Ms Cowan.
It seems that while AI can write a press release, it still cannot manufacture the trust required to survive the modern landscape.
Man Image: Paula Cowan, Managing Director of ImpactInstitute