When people talk about practicing positive ESG – environmental, social and governance policies – in business, it’s usually the E and S that get all the attention.

Saving the planet? Yes, please. Supporting workers and communities? Heck yes. But governance? It’s the third sibling in the ESG family – the one that shows up early, organizes the spreadsheets and doesn’t mind sitting in the back row … until something breaks.

But without the G, the rest of ESG is just a really expensive wish list. Good governance is what makes your sustainability efforts credible, scalable and, maybe most importantly, doable.

But what does governance actually mean?

In the ESG world, governance simply refers to how a company is run. Think leadership accountability, ethics policies, compliance systems, transparent decision-making and risk management. It’s the stuff that happens behind the scenes to make sure you’re walking the walk, not just talking the talk (or worse, sliding down a slippery slope of greenwashing in front of an audience of regulators, eek).

If ESG were a band, Environment would be the lead singer, Social would be the charismatic bassist – and Governance? Governance is the drummer keeping the whole thing from falling apart on stage. It’s steady, reliable and doesn’t get enough credit.

In the ESG world, governance simply refers to how a company is run.”

Elizabeth Wimbush, CAS

Director of Sustainability & Responsibility, PPAI

So why does the G tend to lag?

Let’s be honest: Governance doesn’t usually make for good marketing copy. You can’t post a TikTok about your whistleblower policy. A diversity audit doesn’t look great on a tote bag – even with a huge imprint area and multicolor print. And “risk mitigation strategy” is unlikely to trend on Instagram.

But what governance lacks in glamour, it makes up for in longevity. A company without strong governance might dazzle in the short term, but eventually it hits a wall, whether that’s a compliance fine, a culture crisis or a very public “oops” that leads to a dreaded PR emergency.

For promo companies, governance is make-or-break.

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Properly aligned governance ensures the flashy sustainability wins you tout aren’t just surface-level, they’re backed by real systems and oversight.

Good governance can take many forms:

  • A supplier code of conduct that isn’t just collecting dust – it’s actively shaping who you work with and how.
  • A diverse leadership team making better decisions because they bring different perspectives to the table (and not just during Black History Month).
  • Audit trails for your environmental claims so that when a client asks, “How do you know this cotton is organic?” you don’t have to shout, “Next question!” and sprint out of the room.
  • Clear accountability and reporting structures for ESG goals – so someone actually owns the results, not just the slide deck.
  • Strong hiring and ethics policies that help you attract employees who are both high-performing and high-integrity. You know, the kind of folks who don’t ghost you after three onboarding emails.


Good governance means great culture. It’s part of the secret sauce. Good governance doesn’t just protect you but also creates a place where people want to work. Top performers are drawn to companies with clarity, integrity and structure. A well-governed company is one where employees understand how decisions are made, how they’re evaluated and how to speak up if something is wrong.

It’s where people trust leadership because leadership is transparent, consistent and accountable. And in an industry known for crazy-tight deadlines and logistical acrobatics, a solid governance framework is the calm in the chaos. It’s the reason your best employees don’t burn out or bail. It’s why they stay, grow and help build something better.

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But how do you show governance? There are plenty of ways to make governance visible:

  • Try including governance wins in your impact reports, such as new oversight mechanisms, policy updates or leadership changes that support ESG.
  • Track and publish metrics like team and leadership diversity, ethics training completion or supplier compliance rates.
  • And tell stories! Did your risk process help you avoid a product recall? Did your values guide a tough but principled decision? Share it. That’s governance in action.


This G stuff isn’t glamorous, but it is powerful. In the end, governance is what gives your company its backbone. It ensures your sustainability journey has structure, your culture has consistency and your team has trust in the system.

It’s not the headline, but it’s the reason the headline is good news.

So next time you review your ESG strategy, give governance a seat at the grown-up table. Buy it a coffee. Maybe even let it speak first. You might be surprised what happens when the quiet one leads the meeting.

Wimbush is the director of sustainability and responsibility at PPAI.