For years, companies and their stakeholders have relied on financial metrics as the primary indicators of success and to inform their decisions. Now, things are changing. With the growing focus on sustainability, your enterprise cannot flourish without a high ESG score, but how do you achieve that? The answer is pretty straightforward: use an ESG strategy consulting firm to craft the best plan.

From investors to capital markets, every party appears to be on an overdrive to change the current perilous trends that are threatening to tear the planet apart. This is why you need the right strategy.

This post digs deeper into environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy to determine what it is and how to craft the right one for your enterprise or company. 

Why ESG is Important for Your Business 

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is a relatively new term. It was first coined back in 2015 and is used to explore the non-financial impacts of a business. The concept is based on the pillars of ethical and responsible business operations, which are considered primary in addressing the challenges facing the planet today.

If a company is making huge profits but subjecting workers to an injurious working environment, it cannot be considered sustainable. 

Corporate ESG has taken the center stage in businesses because of the growing concerns about climate change, inequalities, and rapidly declining natural resources. Now, every business has to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) into its operations.

With the assistance of an ESG strategy consulting agency, you can draw and implement the best plan for sustainability to make your company stand out. 

You will also find corporate ESG crucial for your enterprise because: 

• ESG helps to strengthen the bonds between staff and their company. 

• A good ESG strategy is crucial in winning the support of more stakeholders, such as clients and investors. 

• More corporate managers indicate that improving sustainability helps their companies to win a bigger market share. 

• • Good sustainability strategy in business is crucial in risk management. 

• ESG can help your business to stay ahead of the competition. 

• With a high ESG score, compliance with various laws and policies becomes easy. 

• Helps to keep the cost of operations low. With experts in sustainable consulting, you are able to get help and insights into more effective, yet cheap strategies for growth and success. 

ESG reporting is a comprehensive framework that evaluates a company’s sustainability efforts and their impact on stakeholders and society.

ESG Strategy : Keep this in mind

Amid the growing demand for sustainable business practices, companies must embrace sustainability management services to address environmental risks and implement sustainable solutions.

Effective sustainability reporting plays a crucial role in demonstrating their commitment to climate leadership and responsible investment.

Executives face the challenge of selecting appropriate reporting standards that align with strategic requirements and stakeholder needs, avoiding the pitfalls of greenwashing while driving sustainability performance.

To respond to the urgency of sustainability challenges, companies need to navigate beyond the overselling of sustainability reporting and embrace a better approach that involves stronger civic engagement, regulatory support, and a rethinking of what constitutes a successful company or society.

As sustainability takes center stage in corporate boardrooms, executives should prioritize sustainability reporting, as it serves as a channel to attract investment in businesses that positively impact the environment.

To thrive in the next era of ESG investing, investment managers must consider ESG metrics as standard practice and conduct a holistic review of disclosures, implementing compliance policies consistently throughout the firm. They should also embrace responsible digital transformation and verification by independent third parties to support sustainability initiatives and improve client engagement.

Furthermore, with stakeholders demanding more equity, transparency, and trust, companies should exceed expectations by providing accountability and reporting on their sustainability commitments.

By integrating sustainability management services and adopting robust sustainability reporting practices, companies can effectively address environmental risks, seize sustainable investment opportunities, and demonstrate responsible leadership in today’s increasingly sustainability-focused business landscape.

Crafting a Relevant ESG Strategy for Your Company in 6 steps

Once you have identified the benefits of using ESG strategies, the next step is crafting the right plan for your company. Here are the main steps to follow. 

Consult the Stakeholders

For any sustainability or ESG strategy to be considered conclusive in a company, it requires the input of all stakeholders. These are parties with interest in your firm, especially in seeing it become successful.

They include the board members, staff, strategic partners, and investors. You should also reach out to clients and investors and ask them what they prefer to be given the preference in the company strategy. 

At this initial stage, you should make sure that the company objectives are mapped well with the strategy. ESG strategy consulting is crucial in ensuring that the core values of the organization are reflected at all levels of strategy implementation. Remember to capture data even at this early stage because it will come in handy for analysis and even ESG reporting in the final stages. 

Do you need a sustainability reporting consultant? An ESG Compliant software? Or An ESG strategy consulting firm?

Select an Appropriate Framework 

When designing an ESG strategy, it is important to take your mind to the very end of the process and figure out what the main products will be. One of them is an ESG report for both local and global stakeholders.

Therefore, it is important to select an appropriate framework. Good examples include the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). 

For greater impact, you might want to focus on the frameworks that are designed specifically for your industry. For example, the firm you select for ESG strategy consulting services may recommend Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) for a real estate business and SASB for a company in the finance industry. 

Carry Out Materiality Assessment 

This is a very critical step because it helps to pinpoint the specific areas of action or solutions. This means the areas of focus for the company to achieve the targeted results. Should your company start by cutting down carbon footprint or changing the product design? It is crucial that the management of companies strike the perfect balance for success. 

ESG strategy consulting can help you to look at the different areas of interest and draw a plan that will optimize sustainability rating. A good approach starts with the compliance requirements and then targeting areas that come with greater impacts.

So, take a closer look at your business to note the area that has a high risk and target it with the best ESG solutions. Here are two demonstrations.

If you run a hotel or the business is in the hospitality industry, it might be a good idea to prioritize biodiversity protection through habitat restoration. This ESG strategy can help to ensure that clients get to see the scenic areas and more animals in the region. 

Another company in the finance sector might target supporting empowering communities through social programs. This will raise the ESG rating of the company, helping it to attract more clients and support from stakeholders. At this point your ESG Strategy Consulting should be already relevant.

Pick the Right ESG Management Team to Steer the Strategy 

A strategy is only as good as the people who are involved in its implementation. Therefore, you have to determine the required skills and bring on board the right people. Particularly, you should ensure that the team is led by experts in ESG matters to ensure the results remain on course.

One method that can work effectively is using experts for calculating ESG Score + giving ESG consulting to train staff on specific skills for sustainability. 

If you do not prefer to work with a specific team, it might be a good idea to delegate specific tasks to departments. This means that departmental heads will be charged with the implementation of the ESG actions. To use this method, you have to ensure that all the involved parties have the required skills to foresee ESG strategy implementation. 

Collect Data on Key Performance Indicators 

After setting the ESG strategy on course, you need to follow the key performance indicators. Make sure to gather accurate data, analyze it to determine progress, and focus on ESG reporting.

At this point, you need to appreciate that ESG strategies are not implemented in isolation but alongside the main company strategy for growth. As a result, you have to ensure everything is running smoothly, with the focus on sustainability helping to boost company operation. 

If you notice that some KPIs of your sustainable strategy are being missed, consider adopting changes for improvement. For example, you might want to add another component, such as installing Continewm in the HVAC system, to improve efficiency and cut down carbon footprint. 

This will come in handy in helping to address the problem of global warming and climate change.

ESG Strategy Consulting : Contact us

Finally, you need to prepare a report about the results. You can opt to make it a standalone report or combine it with other financial reporting. This will give your stakeholders the opportunity to see the entire ESG journey and appreciate it.

Remember that this report and data therein, and ESG achievements should form the basis for the next actions. If you achieve 20% carbon emissions reduction, it might be a good idea to target 50% in the coming year or two. 

To make your company stand out because of the commitment to sustainability, you have to formulate a good strategy. Since it has to touch every aspect of the business, the process can be pretty tough, and you should always use ESG strategy consulting services.

The consulting services are offered by experts who will offer insights for sustainable operations, ensure your strategy aligns with the company’s objectives and the results are easy to achieve. 

Contact us, one of the top firms for calculating ESG Score and giving ESG consulting for sustainability planning. The experts will hold your hand to ensure you achieve a better ESG score and stand out from the competition.