Moving Forward with ESG, Sustainability, and Corporate Responsibility

Healthcare leaders have two especially profound responsibilities. In addition to ensuring quality, they must also drive sustainable practices that benefit their organizations, communities, and the planet. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles-along with sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) concepts-have gained significant prominence in recent years, and an understanding of their nuances within healthcare and in the general business context is essential for effective governance and implementation. To fully integrate ESG principles into their operations, healthcare leaders should understand the essential role of governance in ESG and the differences among ESG, sustainability, and CSR. The concrete examples provided here will illustrate the relevance of ESG reporting frameworks to healthcare operations.