Breaking the Fourth Wall... with Carmel Giblin, ESCP

I n our second edition of Breaking the Fourth Wall, Nikki speaks to Carmel Giblin, president and CEO of Ethical Supply Chain Program, about ESG, greenwashing and communicating across the supply chain

Q: How should companies communicate about their ESG initiatives, without being accused of greenwashing?  

Companies need to be transparent and clear in their communications.  They should explain what they do and be honest about how their activities positively or negatively impact society.  It’s a case of being able to explain how they amplify the good and address the bad.  All companies will have some element of negative impact, and they shouldn’t shy away from that. Explaining the necessity of their operations and what they are doing to reduce or remove any harm helps to build trust. 

Of course, you can’t just say that you’re doing good. It’s important to show evidence and not just intention. It’s okay to test and learn but you should communicate the results of any pilot programmes, explain what you have learnt and outline what you intend to do to scale or revise the plan.  

I’d also recommend not overstating positive work by sharing examples of a few small pilots that never scale.  Be consistent, share data and don’t be afraid of saying something didn’t work.  Sharing failures helps others and builds your capability.   

"We still do terminate factory members but only when they refuse to remediate. We realised that it was far better to support our members in raising their standards.  By continuing to engage them we protect jobs and improve working environments."

Carmel Giblin President & CEO of Ethical Supply Chain Program

Q: Do you think companies should feel they have a responsibility to talk about their ESG initiatives and encourage conversation? 

I’d be cautious of just saying we’re doing the right thing. It’s more about saying that we will always try to do the right thing and, crucially, attempt to do no harm.  As I say, not every activity will work but we should be brave and learn from actions that didn’t necessarily get the result we wanted.  I also think it’s important to stop doing something that’s not right and then share and explain why you have stopped. 

For example, ESCP is a certification program and in our earlier operations we would terminate a factory member when we found serious non-compliances related to labour standards for their workers.  We still do terminate factory members but only when they refuse to remediate. We realised that it was far better to support our members in raising their standards.  By continuing to engage them we protect jobs and improve working environments.  

We do change their status to ‘in remediation’ so we are still being very transparent about their situation, but this status is evidence of their commitment to improving.  

I also think it’s important for companies to be clear on what being successful actually looks like. Set objectives, communicate progress and course correct when needed.

Q: What are the best channels to use for communicating this? 

I’d say whatever channels your stakeholders use.  When developing your ESG strategy you will have considered your stakeholders, so you know your audience.  Your communication channels may well vary. Investors, for example, may want to review company reports, while clients and consumers might look at your website or editorials, or get their information through trade associations or industry specific conferences etc. 

I would advise identifying priority stakeholders and then preparing a comms plan and budget that ensures they are getting the information they need from you in the most effective way.

"The effectiveness of your supply chain is fundamental to your business success.  You rely on your supply partners, they are critical in ensuring you meet your legal and regulatory obligations and fulfil the expectations of your clients and consumers."

Carmel Giblin President & CEO of Ethical Supply Chain Program

Q: Do companies need to be bolder about how they talk to their own supply chain partners? 

Absolutely yes!  The effectiveness of your supply chain is fundamental to your business success.  You rely on your supply partners, they are critical in ensuring you meet your legal and regulatory obligations and fulfil the expectations of your clients and consumers.  They need to know what your ESG plans and objectives are, and what you expect of them as part of that.  

They will help you to achieve your ESG objectives, so it’s important that you communicate with them regularly to show the value of their support and how this benefits you both.

Q: What about ESCP itself? How do you feel about communicating your own work? Do the same rules apply? 

Yes, they do.  In 2023, for example, we announced our ambition to benefit 30,000 children by 2025. We published our impact report at the end of 2023 and are currently working on our 2024 impact report. We also meet with our stakeholders regularly to share updates on our range of programs.  

We are open about what has worked and what hasn’t.  When activities haven’t been successful, we find discussing that with stakeholders helps us all. We can adapt our future activities in an informed way and our stakeholders learn and avoid repeating the same mistakes – plus they are confident in our sincerity.  

I’m sure we can do better though, and we’ll be mindful of that in our communications for 2025.  We’re always learning, and I’d encourage everyone to see that as a good thing.