How to integrate sustainability into quarterly earnings calls

For many companies, annual reporting is the primary vehicle for sharing sustainability efforts with investors. But as these topics become increasingly important to the investment community, how can corporate leaders best share progress — and illustrate the business value of sustainability?

Enter the quarterly earnings call. A long-standing staple of investor communications, these calls offer a regular touchpoint between investors and corporate leaders as well as an opportunity to share not only the latest earnings, but also the latest updates on all material topics — including sustainability. While there’s a natural tendency in these calls to focus on the quarter at hand, periodically sharing a longer-term perspective can be helpful.

Further, investors want — and need — to understand this long-term view on sustainability. According to Morgan Stanley’s 2025 Sustainable Signals survey, 88% of investors globally say they are interested in sustainable investing, up from 77% the year prior. And this goes beyond mere interest, with at least 70% likely to consider a company’s sustainability practices when making investment decisions.

When building sustainability discussions into quarterly earnings call agendas, here are a few key things to keep in mind:

Lead with business strategy.

As sustainability functions have matured, they have become more integrated in companies’ broader operations and business strategy. Quarterly earnings calls should reflect this evolving approach. Anchor conversations in your company’s business strategy and highlight where sustainability efforts, practices and progress support that strategy and contribute to long-term value creation.

Bring in the subject matter experts.

In quarterly calls, investors tend to hear primarily from C-suite leaders. When discussing sustainability, invite colleagues who are deeply embedded in this work to share efforts and progress with investors. Featuring subject matter experts can help paint a clearer picture for investors and encourage them to join these calls for a more practical understanding of how sustainability drives business value.

Focus on material issues.

To support their decision-making, investors need to understand both the financial and impact materiality of sustainability efforts. For example, what effect does lowering carbon emissions have on operating costs for a logistics company? By applying a double materiality lens to these calls, you can highlight how initiatives lead to more sustainable outcomes, while actively de-risking your business.

Embrace transparency.

In quarterly conversations with investors, it’s key to both celebrate success and acknowledge challenges. Open and honest disclosure is key when sharing sustainability progress to help build trust and protect against claims of greenwashing. When possible, highlight concrete data to demonstrate both progress and challenges and to illustrate how sustainability initiatives can support the top and bottom lines.

Quarterly earnings are low-hanging fruit for helping to move sustainability communications in this more business-focused direction overall — something we explore in greater depth in our recent white paper, A New Take on the Future of ESG Reporting.

Quarterly calls represent a largely untapped opportunity to engage investors on the sustainability issues that can inform their investment decisions. For companies looking to evolve their sustainability communications strategy, these calls can help foster alignment with overall strategy, deepen engagement with investors and demonstrate the long-term investment value of sustainable practices.