Environmental, social and governance
Environmental, social and governance matters are an increasing focus, not only for our clients, but in the broader reputational landscape. Stakeholders – be they colleagues, investors, customers, regulators, or policy-makers – want to know more about the impact of organisations, both for good and bad.
Investors ask for clarity
Transparency requirements are expanding and there is mounting expectation for greater ESG collateral. Saying the right thing, as well as doing the right thing, has never been more important.
Our work is often at Board level, normally driven by investors asking for clarity around the company’s ESG strategy. Whilst each project is different in terms of output, much of our work involves understanding the current ESG activities, risks and opportunities of the company, reaching an internal consensus on how to report this, including metrics and targets, and then developing a strategy to engage the outside world. We work alongside clients to help them deliver this to employees, investors and other stakeholders across a variety of channels, including ESG reports, content for websites or investor decks, and internal communications campaigns.
We also advise both claimants and defendants around ESG-driven litigation. As ESG statements are subjected to ever greater scrutiny, inaccurate or misleading disclosure represents a key risk that needs to be managed.
Our team has held senior in-house and advisory roles, giving us a deep and invaluable understanding of corporate structures and reporting from the inside, which clients find extremely useful. We know how to ask enough of the right questions to get to grips with material issues, and understand what clients need, balanced with what’s expected of them. We are knowledgeable and confident enough to challenge them to do better in the areas that matter to their stakeholders, without having our own idealist agenda that would push them to needlessly take on ESG burdens for appearance’s sake only.
Saying the right thing, as well as doing the right thing, has never been more important.
News & Views
5 Nov 2021
A Fair COP?
Pete Bowyer takes a look at the chances of success of COP26
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