A trifecta of global events—the coronavirus pandemic, economic uncertainty, and the social justice movement—has significantly accelerated the need for companies around the world to link environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives to their executive incentive plans, according to a recent poll conducted by global advisory firm Willis Towers Watson.

Jaclyn Jaeger is a freelance contributor to Compliance Week after working for the company for 15 years. She writes on a wide variety of topics, including ethics and compliance, risk management, legal,...