By Julia Hoy, Executive Vice President – Responsible Business

In Davos, leaders have gathered under the World Economic Forum (WEF) theme “A Spirit of Dialogue”. The agenda centres on unlocking growth and how to build prosperity within planetary boundaries. In this context, communications about responsible business are under new pressure. Five shifts stand out.

1. From “comply or else” to “choose to lead”

Around the world, parts of the regulatory agenda are softening or stalling. At the same time, WEF and others are calling for value to be understood in broader terms, including natural, social and human capital. Investors, banks, employees and communities still expect serious climate and social action, even when legal requirements weaken.

Compliance is not enough. The question communicators will need to ask in 2026 is whether a company chooses to keep standards high when it would be easier not to, and whether it can explain in plain language why that choice supports long term performance and resilience.

2. The language of credibility: from labels to real world risk

Most large companies moved away from using “ESG” as a headline term in their communications years ago. Today, language needs to centre on how managing environmental and social risk actually protects value in a world of heatwaves, floods, supply disruptions and political tension.

The phrases that matter are concrete. How you keep critical sites open in extreme weather. How you plan for water stress. How you reduce harm in your supply chain. How you manage community impacts. These now sit at the centre of credible corporate storytelling.

3. The proof gap: greenhushing, enforcement and AI

In recent years, many companies have pulled back from talking about progress, deciding that silence feels safer than risking accusations of exaggeration or greenwashing. AI tools are now used to collect, compare and test sustainability data. They can review large volumes of reports, news and third-party data much faster than people and help validate or question corporate disclosures. 

For communicators, this means every claim should be written as if a skeptical reader, armed with good data and good software, will check it. Communicators need to explain methods. Share what is not on track as well as what is. The goal is not louder claims, but claims that stand up to patient questioning.

4. Climate, cost of living and security in the same story

Climate impacts are now part of daily life in many regions, from fires and floods to disruptions in food and energy prices. At the same time, households face cost of living pressure and many communities feel insecure about jobs and social cohesion. Davos debates these pressures together, not in separate boxes. 

In 2026, Responsible Business communication has to reflect that reality. Not every message needs to mention climate, costs and jobs at once, but over time people look for a clear link between them. When that link is missing, climate plans can seem abstract and employment messages can look fragile in the face of growing physical risk. 

5. Broader narratives

Finally, the frame for what counts as Responsible Business continues to broaden. WEF analysis shows that around half of global GDP, some 44 trillion dollars, depends on nature and is therefore exposed to its decline, yet much of this dependency is still not fully reflected in board decisions or financial models. New rules and investor expectations are bringing human rights, decent work and biodiversity into the same conversation as emissions.

Digital questions now sit alongside these concerns. As companies use AI in their operations and reporting, they also face scrutiny on bias, surveillance, misinformation and the risk that automated systems hide problems rather than surface them.

For communicators, the task is to present a coherent picture. Climate, nature, human rights, working conditions, data and AI ethics should all be part of how an organisation explains its impact and earns trust.

Davos 2026 does not just ask what companies say about the future. It asks whether responsible business is visible in the choices they make, their trade offs and the detail they share.