Why simple writing is essential for a great ESG report

Does your company get bogged down with complex words, technical jargon and lengthy text in trying to communicate your ESG story? Here’s why you should avoid that type of writing and how it can improve your sustainability or ESG report.

Simple writing is concise and uses plain language words. A good quality sustainability/ESG report delivers relevant disclosures in an accessible easy-to-read way. Research even shows that simple writing is associated with better ESG performance[1]. Yet ESG reporting, “…remains a very difficult to read genre, sometimes more difficult than financial reporting.”[2]

The truth is, simple writing is better for everyone, even the most highly educated and discerning of readers. Here are three reasons why:

1)       Simple words are easier to read. (This is about the type of words.)
Simple words can be easily understood by a wider range of readers. This makes your report more readable—and more engaging as a result. Content that is engaging keeps the reader reading (and from clicking away to read something else).
What to do:
·   Do not use a complex word where a simple one will do. For example, do not use "commenced" when "began" will do, "utilize" when "use" will do, "assistance" when "help" will do, or "facilitate" when "ease" will do.
·   Reduce jargon, technical language, industry-specific terms, or internal ‘corporate speak’.
·   Use a tool like the Flesch Reading Ease score, which grades readability on a scale from 0 to 100, with 100 being the easiest to read.

2)       Concise writing gets read. (This is about the number of words.)
More words are not always better. In fact, your readers’ willingness to continue reading decreases with the number of words used. Concise writing is clear and direct. It reduces read time and improves retention of your messages[3]. A 2021 SASB Corporate-Investor Dialogue revealed that, “…many financial professionals urged companies to include only what investors need in the report and steer clear of excessively long documents.”[4]
What to do:
·   Reduce the number of words used. Do not say in ten words what you can say in five.
·   Remove repetitive terms, sentences or concepts.
·   Avoid filler sentences—each one should say something meaningful.

3)       Simple and concise writing feels more honest and credible. (This is about sentence quality and flow.)
When too many words and ideas are strewn together, the key point can become obscured. In addition, if text is filled with technical terms and complex sentences that the reader can’t understand quickly, they may lose interest, or feel that the company is concealing something. Simple writing, on the other hand, can be easily understood, making it feel more straight-forward and honest. The text is easy to follow, paragraphs flow, and messages are believable and compelling. This lends credibility and authenticity.
What to do:
·   Use shorter sentences. Avoid complex and run-on sentences.
·   If a complex sentence is needed in one place, use shorter sentences around it. Varied sentence length improves readability.

Simple writing in ESG reports isn’t always easy because the subject matter is often highly technical or sensitive (e.g., a fatality, or open litigation). The payoffs, however, are a more readable, engaging and credible report, which ultimately builds trust. And transparency is, after all, the end goal of ESG/sustainability reporting.

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At Responsibility Matters, we encourage the use of clear, concise and direct language. We help you cut through the clutter of needless technical jargon and work to deliver your relevant disclosures in a credible and authentic way.

[1] Nazari, J.A., Hrazdil, K, and Mahmoudian, F. “Assessing social and environmental performance through narrative complexity in CSR reports.” Journal of Contemporary Accounting & Economics. 13 (2017): 166–178.
[2] Smeuninx, N., De Clerck. B., and Aerts, W. “Measuring the Readability of Sustainability Reports: A Corpus-Based Analysis Through Standard Formulae and NLP.” International Journal of Business Communication. Vol. 57, 1 (2020): 52–85.
[3] BusinessWire.com. July 28, 2020. “Labrador Reveals the Effectiveness of Plain Language Proven by Data.”
[4] SASB Alliance. “Exploring Disclosure Effectiveness - Connecting Business and Investors on the Financial Impacts of Sustainability.” (2021, May), pg. 1