Insights
Perspectives on ESG and sustainable growth
Straight-talking thinking on connecting Environmental, Social and Governance with strategy that actually grows your business.
Perspective
Mind the gap between ESG #1 and ESG #2
Many firms have invested heavily in Environmental, Social and Governance status: the certificates, accreditations and systems. Far fewer are Enjoying Sustainable Growth as a result. To profit with purpose, the two must be connected, and that means making ESG core to a holistic growth strategy rather than a corporate overhead fixated on the ‘E’.
Perspective
Greenwash is a governance problem
Greenwash rarely starts in the marketing team. It starts when policies, processes and board agendas aren’t built on an honest ESG footing. Transparency testing (the ESG33 Greenwash Extinguisher) examines the foundations of your governance so that what you say matches what you do.
Perspective
This isn’t a four-week tiger team sprint
A panicked carbon-footprinting exercise won’t build lasting return on investment. Firms need to approach ESG strategically and programmatically, with the capability maturity to make it stick at enterprise level, and a change programme with the right sponsors, advocates and belief.
Perspective
Start with materiality, not frameworks
There are oodles of systems, frameworks and certifications. Choosing one first is backwards. A materiality assessment tells you what you control, what you influence and what your stakeholders care about, so you baseline, measure and target what genuinely matters to your growth.
“For purpose-driven firms to turn certification into sustainable profit, they must root out the environmental opportunities in their value chain, solidify their social licence to operate, and examine the very foundations of their governance.”John Downer, Founder, ESG33
Want to talk any of this through?
New articles are on the way. In the meantime, John is always happy to discuss what ESG to ESG could mean for your firm.