ERM, the world’s largest specialist sustainability consultancy, has hired Emily Luscombe to build a new strategic communications and marketing agency across the EMEA region.

Her appointment extends capabilities that ERM acquired with the integration of specialist North American sustainability marketing communications firm Shelton Group in 2022. Alongside founder Suzanne Shelton, Emily will help ERM clients unlock commercial and strategic value from communicating their sustainability strategies, engaging with customers, investors, employees and regulators to influence behaviour, mitigate risk and advance the ESG agenda.

Based in London, Emily has spent over 20 years helping businesses and brands drive opportunity through communication in times of change. She joins ERM from public relations firm Instinctif Partners where, as Chief Client Officer, she advised businesses across sectors from energy and industrials to retail, technology and financial services.

Prior to this, Emily held senior leadership positions in international agencies Bell Pottinger and Golin.

Emily comments:

“There’s a rapidly narrowing window of opportunity for business and governments to hit the goals needed to avoid irreversible harm – to people and profit as well as planet. ERM has been at the forefront of solving the sustainability crisis for decades, bringing the technical capabilities, services, partnerships and investment to enable progress.

“But what I hear time and again, and it was the same at COP recently, is this: ‘we have the tools, but we aren’t speaking the same language, we’re not working together. So one of our biggest barriers to change is communication that can drive impact.’

“I’ve seen from the agency side, the disconnect within businesses between operationalizing and communicating sustainability. When the two work together, it can deliver huge reputational and commercial dividends. Being given the mandate to build a new offer that addresses this, supporting ERM’s incredible client list and backed by their technical firepower, is a once-in-a-career opportunity.”

Mathias Lelievre, Regional CEO for EMEA, ERM adds:

“Communications can play a crucial role in supercharging the Net Zero transition. Emily brings the right knowledge and experience to really shift the dial on sustainability communications, delivering solutions that are backed by climate science and ERM’s deep technical expertise. As we continue to grow this critical capability, I’m excited at the potential opportunities for our clients in Europe to work with Emily and the team to fully leverage their sustainability commitments and actions.”

About ERM

Sustainability is our business. 

As the world’s largest specialist sustainability consultancy, ERM partners with clients to operationalize sustainability at pace and scale, deploying a unique combination of strategic transformation and technical delivery capabilities. With more than 50 years of experience, ERM’s diverse team of 8000+ experts in 40 countries and territories helps clients create innovative solutions to their sustainability challenges, unlocking commercial opportunities that meet the needs of today while preserving opportunity for future generations.