Over the past five years, companies have faced increasing scrutiny from stakeholders, politicians, and consumers for their communication around topics on a range of environmental and social issues. Critics from both the Right and the Left and from inside and outside the organization have challenged companies for going too far or not going far enough. At the same time, a challenging economic environment, growing anti-business sentiment, anti-DEI orders in the US, and anti-greenwashing legislation in Europe have all contributed to increasing risk for companies.

Return on Responsibility (RoR) is a strategic communications framework designed to help companies pursue their desired ESG strategies while minimizing political and reputational risk. Grounded in extensive Language Strategy research and real-world experience in making the business case for ESG strategies, our approach transforms how companies articulate strategies, commitments, and programs around ESG, CSR, and purpose (collectively “ESG”) by reframing these efforts using language that is easier to understand, more credible, and more broadly supported by people across the political spectrum.