ESG Communication on LinkedIn: How Companies Address Environmental and Social Topics – Evidence from a Content Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51137/wrp.ijsbe.899Keywords:
ESG Communication, CSR Communication, LinkedIn, Environmental, Social, UN Global CompactAbstract
In corporate ESG communication, how and where firms communicate has become as consequential as what they communicate. Social media, by enabling multi-format storytelling that humanises complex ESG issues, has motivated this shift. However, ESG communication on social media, particularly LinkedIn as a central channel for corporate communication remains understudied. This paper addresses that gap by analysing how top-reputed companies use LinkedIn to communicate their environmental and social commitments. Drawing on a sample of all 60 companies that are listed in the Global RepTrak 100 ranking and simultaneously report to the UN Global Compact, we conducted a content analysis of all LinkedIn posts published over an eleven-month period 2024 to 2025. Of the 11,964 posts examined, 1,856 met the Global Reporting Initiative’s definitions of Environmental and Social (ES) messaging. These posts were coded for detailed analysis across five dimensions: topic, industry, region, media type, and communication mode. Our findings reveal that ES posts constitute 15% of these firms’ total LinkedIn activity. The findings suggest that sustainability topics are deployed selectively and strategically rather than uniformly across corporate messaging. They reveal considerable variation, suggesting that ES communication is strategically adapted to firms’ industry-specific positioning and region. Both the choice of type of media and communication mode – if a post is informative, explanatory, narrative or evaluative in character – vary depending on the topic. The findings advance research on ESG communication and provide evidence-based recommendations for practitioners on how to strategically balance sustainability messaging by employing formats and narratives for their sustainability communication.
References
Au, A. K. M., Yang, Y.-F., Wang, H., Chen, R.-H., Zheng, L. J. (2023). Mapping the landscape of ESG strategies: A bibliometric review and recommendations for future research. Sustainability, 15(24), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416592
Casalegno, C., Chiaudano, V., Tamiazzo, M., & Kitchen, P. J. (2024). Navigating the challenges of ESG communication on social media. Journal of Emerging Perspectives, 1, 33–42. https://doi.org/10.36253/jep-16898
Cho, M., Furey, L. D., & Mohr, T. (2017). Communicating corporate social responsibility on social media: Strategies, stakeholders, and public engagement on corporate Facebook. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, 80(1), 52–69. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329490616663708
Cornelissen, J. P. (2023). Corporate communication: A guide to theory and practice (7th ed.). Sage. https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/corporate-communication/book281413?
Crace, L., & Gehman, J. (2023). What really explains ESG performance? Disentangling the asymmetrical drivers of the triple bottom line. Organization & Environment, 36(1), 150–178. https://doi.org/10.1177/10860266221079408
Dănilă, A., Horga, M.-G., Oprisan, O., & Stamule, T. (2022). Good practices on ESG reporting in the context of the European Green Deal. Amfiteatru Economic recommends, 24(61), 847–860. https://doi.org/10.24818/EA/2022/61/847
Dhaliwal, D. S., Radhakrishnan, S., Tsang, A., & Yang, Y. G. (2012). Nonfinancial disclosure and analyst forecast accuracy: International evidence on corporate social responsibility disclosure. The Accounting Revoew, 87(3), 723–759. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-10218
Fernández, P., Hartmann, P., & Apaolaza, V. (2022). What drives CSR communication effectiveness on social media? A process-based theoretical framework and research agenda. International Journal of Advertising, 41(3), 385–413. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2021.1947016
Filotto, U., Sgrulletti, D., & Stella, G. P. (2023). CEOs on LinkedIn, ESG communication and listed SMEs stock performance during COVID-19 pandemic. Global Business Review, online first. https://doi.org/10.1177/09721509231192174
Guerra, G. I. (2026). The Short Video Format: Conceptualizing a Ubiquitous Artifact of Visual Platforms. International Journal of Communication, 20, 792–816. https://doi.org/10.65476/rdgsy150
Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture’s consequences: International differences in work-related values. Sage.
Huck-Sandhu, S. (2014). Corporate Messages entwickeln und steuern: Agenda Setting, Framing, Storytelling. In A. Zerfaß & M. Piwinger (Eds), Handbuch Unternehmenskommunikation (pp 651–668. Springer.
Jenifer, V., Vishmita, S., & Sowmiya, K. (2023). Growth of content marketing through LinkedIn channel. International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 8(2), 166–171. https://doi.org/10.30574/ijsra.2023.8.2.0227
Ji, Y. G., Tao, W., & Rim, H. (2020). Mapping corporate social responsibility research in communication: A network and bibliometric analysis. Public Relation Review, 46(5), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2020.101963
Joglekar, J., & Tan, C. S. L. (2022). The impact of LinkedIn posts on employer brand perception and the mediating effects of employer attractiveness and corporate reputation. Journal of Advances in Management Research, 19(4), 624–650. https://doi.org/10.1108/jamr-10-2021-0343
Kirchhoff, K. R., Niefünd, S., & Von Pressentin, J. (2024). ESG: Sustainability as a strategic success factor. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-45831-7
Landis, J. R., & Koch, G. G. (1977). The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics, 33(1), 159–174. https://doi.org/10.2307/2529310
Leal Filho, W., Dinis, M. A. P., Liakh, O., Paço, A., Dennis, K., Shollo, F., & Sidsaph, H. (2024). Reducing the carbon footprint of the textile sector: An overview of impacts and solutions. Textile Research Journal, 94(15–16), 1798–1814. https://doi.org/10.1177/00405175241236971
Li, T. T., Wang, K., Sueyoshi, T., & Wang, D. D. (2021). ESG: Research progress and future prospects. Sustainability, 13(21), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111663
Lipińska, M. (2018). Corporate communication in social media with the use of LinkedIn. Social Communication, 19(3), 23–29. https://doi.org/10.2478/sc-2018-0020
Lukács, B., Rickards, R. C., Molnár, P., Suta, A., & Tóth, Á. (2025). ESG disclosure topics and reporting frameworks: Exploratory research across automotive, construction, and energy industries. Discovery Sustainability, 6(649), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-01533-x
Lund, A. K., & Refshauge, M. (2024). Mastering corporate communication: A modern guidebook for future‑fit strategies, tools and skills. Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-50232-3
Matakanye, R. M., Van Der Poll, H. M., & Muchara, B. (2021). Do Companies in Different Industries Respond Differently to Stakeholders’ Pressures When Prioritising Environmental, Social and Governance Sustainability Performance? Sustainability, 13(21), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132112022
Matten, D., & Moon, J. (2008). “Implicit” and “explicit” CSR: A conceptual framework for a comparative understanding of corporate social responsibility. Academy of Management Review, 33(2), 404–424. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2008.31193458
McQueen, R. (2001). The corporate image: The regulation of annual reports in Australia. Macquarie Law Journal, 1(1), 93–128. No DOI
Nielsen, H., & Villadsen, K. (2023). The ESG discourse is neither timeless nor stable: How Danish companies ‘tactically’ embrace ESG concepts. Sustainability, 15(3), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032766
Nwagbara, U., & Reid, P. (2013). Corporate social responsibility communication in the age of new media: towards the logic of sustainability communication. Review of International Comparative Management, 14(3), 400–414. No DOI
Payer, M., Schüder, M., Gemünden, T., & Zülch, H. (2025). Aligning ESG ratings with cultural values: a framework for the German-speaking region. Sustainability Nexus Forum, 33(18), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00550-025-00576-y
Reichelt, V. P., & Pires, D. M. S. (2025). ESG and Corporate reputation: An academic essay on the interrelation between ESG actions and their impacts on the corporate Reputation of organizations. Revista De Gestão Social E Ambiental, 19(4), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.24857/rgsa.v19n4-002
Reilly, A. H., & Hynan, K. A. (2014). Corporate communication, sustainability, and social media: It’s not easy (really) being green. Business Horizons, 57(6), 747–758. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2014.07.008
Roy, A., & Mukherjee, P. (2025). Does National Culture Influence Corporate ESG Disclosures? Evidence from Cross-Country Study. Vision: The Journal of Business Perspective, 29(4), 438–454. https://doi.org/10.1177/09722629221074914
Song, B., & Wen, J. T. (2020). Online corporate social responsibility communication strategies and stakeholder engagements: A comparison of controversial versus noncontroversial industries. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 27, 881–896. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.1852
Strottner, L., & Huck-Sandhu, S. (2021). Mit Herz und Verstand: Rolle der internen Kommunikation für die Etablierung neuer Nachhaltigkeitsstrategien. Sustainability Management Forum, 29, 197–216. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00550-021-00523-7
Yang, J., Basile, K., & Letourneau, O. (2020). The impact of social media platform selection on effectively communicating about corporate social responsibility. Journal of Marketing Communications, 26(1), 65–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2018.1500932
Yang, J., Liu, S., & Zhou, D. (2016). Voluntary financial disclosure on social media: Does corporate governance matter? SSRN Journal, 9, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2836570
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Martina Carrara, Natia Chitashvili, Sheryl Keecheril, Siyu Qiu, Simone Huck-Sandhu (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
