Don’t Sleep On The ‘G’ Governance is the unsung hero of ESG practices in promo. By Elizabeth Wimbush WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT practicing positive ESG – environmental, social and governance policies – in business, it’s usually the E and S that get all the attention. Saving the planet? Yes, please. Supporting workers and communities? Heck yes. But governance? It’s the third sibling in the ESG family – the one that shows up early, organizes the spreadsheets and doesn’t mind sitting in the back row … until something breaks. But without the G, the rest of ESG is just a really expensive wish list. Good governance is what makes your sustainability efforts credible, scalable and, maybe most importantly, doable. But what does governance actually mean? In the ESG world, governance simply refers to how a company is run. Think leadership accountability, ethics policies, compliance systems, transparent decision-making and risk management. It’s the stuff that happens behind the scenes to make sure you’re walking the walk, not just talking the talk (or worse, sliding down a slippery slope of greenwashing in front of an audience of regulators, eek). If ESG were a band, Environment would be the lead singer, Social would be the charismatic bassist – and Governance? Governance is the drummer keeping the whole thing from falling apart on stage. It’s steady, reliable and doesn’t get enough credit. So why does the G tend to lag? Let’s be honest: Governance doesn’t usually make for good marketing copy. You can’t post a TikTok about your whistleblower policy. A diversity audit doesn’t look great on a tote bag – even with a huge imprint area and multicolor print. And “risk mitigation strategy” is unlikely to trend on Instagram. But what governance lacks in glamour, it makes up for in longevity. A company without strong governance might dazzle in the short term, but eventually it hits a wall, whether that’s a compliance fine, a culture crisis or a very public “oops” that leads to a dreaded PR emergency. For promo companies, governance is make-or-break. Properly aligned governance ensures the flashy sustainability wins you tout aren’t just surface-level, they’re backed by real systems and oversight. Good governance can take many forms: • A supplier code of conduct that isn’t just collecting dust – it’s actively shaping who you work with and how. • A diverse leadership team making better decisions because they bring different perspectives to the table (and not just during Black History Month). • Audit trails for your environmental claims so that when a client asks, “How do you know this cotton is 22 • SEPTEMBER 2025 • PPAI Voices | Responsibility innni / Shutterstock.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzU4OQ==