What’s the report about?
Over summer of 2025 brand communications agency The Beta Theory conducted a collaborative research project with students from Huddersfield Business School. We analysed how the Top 100 companies in Kirklees communicate their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitments online, then benchmarked them against the FTSE Top 50.
Why was it commissioned and why should it matter to you?
We have a hypothesis: weak ESG storytelling doesn’t just dent reputation. It costs contracts, capital, and confidence. Regulators, investors, and customers now expect clarity. Employees do too. The businesses that communicate their ESG story with transparency and proof earn trust and competitive advantage. Those who don’t are already paying the price.
If you’re a local or regional business, this isn’t abstract. ESG storytelling is now directly tied to winning contracts, securing investment, and keeping talent. Buyers and regulators increasingly demand proof and competitors are making it visible. If you’re not, the risk is clear: invisibility looks like inaction.
Key takeaways from the report
1. Regional businesses lag far behind national leaders
Kirklees Top 100 average ESG score: 5.1/10
FTSE Top 50 average: 8/10
Only 5% of Kirklees firms scored above 9, compared to 26% of FTSE companies.
2. ESG is often invisible
Less than half of Kirklees firms have a clear sustainability section accessible on their website.
Less than 25% of businesses make use of frameworks like SASB, TCFD, or GRI
In contrast, every FTSE Top 50 company makes ESG content visible and accessible.
3. Strategic commitment is weak
Only 40% of Kirklees firms set ESG objectives.
Just 30% report progress.
FTSE leaders not only set ambitious targets but also publish audited annual updates.
4. Engagement is an afterthought
Only 35% of Kirklees firms post ESG updates on LinkedIn or other channels.
Fewer than 10% use interactive content.
By comparison, 90% of FTSE firms communicate ESG regularly and creatively.
5. Leadership is silent
In Kirklees, CEO or board-level advocacy is almost absent.
National leaders put their names to ESG commitments and often tie executive pay to ESG targets.
6. Size doesn’t guarantee maturity
Bigger regional firms didn’t score higher than smaller ones.
ESG progress depends on leadership and strategy, not headcount or turnover.
The good news
Closing the gap doesn’t require millions. Here are some high impact, quick wins:
Publish a short annual ESG statement.
Put sustainability on your homepage, not three clicks deep.
Map your activity against the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Share progress updates on LinkedIn.
Add a visible CEO endorsement.
Small, consistent steps can transform perception and unlock opportunities.
Weak ESG storytelling hits the bottom line of the balance sheet
That’s why The Beta Theory has spent the last 2 years developing a proven process that brings clarity and authenticity to your sustainability communications. We adopt a forensic approach to understanding how sustainability fits into your business, what goals and objectives you need to achieve, and how you need to communicate your progress to your audience.
Where we've made a difference
We’ve already helped regional businesses close the ESG communications gap — and unlock real commercial value in the process.
Pearce Signs, a long-established signage provider, came to us looking to bring coherence and credibility to their ESG messaging. We built a clear, human-centred sustainability narrative rooted in their real-world commitments - from low-carbon supply chain practices to social mobility schemes - and rolled this out across their website and sales collateral. The result? A confident, consistent message that’s now helping them win more tenders and meet supplier due diligence standards.
Hillfoot, a speciality steel stockholder, had robust ESG activity in place - but little of it was visible to the outside world. We helped structure and amplify their story through a formal ESG statement, mapped to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and supported with regular LinkedIn content. Their team is now better equipped to communicate progress to stakeholders, partners, and prospective recruits - not just reactively, but proactively.
These are just two examples of how ESG storytelling can move the needle, not with fluff or greenwash, but with clarity, structure, and substance.
For a breakdown of how we support clients in this space, visit our ESG services page:
This work matters more than ever
The pressure to demonstrate ESG maturity isn’t going away. If anything, it's accelerating. Whether you’re bidding for public sector contracts, navigating investor scrutiny, or attracting top talent, your ability to tell a credible ESG story is now a competitive differentiator.
You don’t need a ten-year sustainability plan to start communicating. You just need honesty, structure, and a partner who knows how to help you shape and share your message.
We can help.
Call us on 0113 511 7337
Or email hello@thebetatheory.co.uk to start a conversation.
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