Incorporating ESG Metrics: Now is the Time for Companies to Act
With all of the world's challenges, such as wars, natural disasters, and social inequality, it is becoming increasingly vital for social, government, and business groups to work together to find long-term solutions.
This is when the World Economic Forum’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics come into play. Edelman’s annual Trust Barometer shows that the institutions that are most trusted by people are world-ranking businesses, and this is why they need to step in.
Deloitte’s 2016 CxO Sustainability Report discovered that the majority of participants indicated feeling pressure from stakeholders to intervene in the climate crisis.
Governmental regulators have also played a role in this change, including the US Securities and Exchange Commission, which recently proposed a regulation mandating publicly listed corporations to report their climate risks.
This coercion has had a noticeable impact on businesses until now: they have shifted from tracking ESG indicators out of compliance to integrating ESG measures into their fundamental business strategies.
The CEO of Deloitte, Punit Renjen, said: "Business is overstepping its bounds by trying to deliver more to society than just profit. But I would argue that the global business community has too much know-how, influence, and scale to sit on the sidelines."
His advice to other businesses would be to "focus on the purpose of ESG metrics" and then "the profits will follow."
Punit Renjen highlights that Deloitte, to reinforce its commitment towards purpose-led strategies and its desire to make a measurable and sustainable impact, created the WorldClimate programme and continues to donate a substantial portion of its net profits to the areas in which they reside and operate.
Deloitte also devoted substantial efforts to combating COVID-19. For example, Deloitte's "Sanjeevani Pariyojana" ("The Life Project") is a partnership with the Indian state of Haryana that uses digital technology to give patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 virtual home care in rural areas so they can recover at home. By promoting good societal change, Deloitte has not only affected societal issues but also achieved industry-leading results.
Renjen added, "We know that only what gets measured gets done, as ESG commitments cannot be successful if there is no clear and transparent measuring and reporting to all investors and stakeholders."
In the context of a collaboration with the other Big 4 firms, Deloitte cooperated with the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum to define 21 key stakeholder capitalism ESG metrics, which can be used regardless of sector or country.
The nonfinancial disclosure metrics are grouped around four pillars: people, planet, prosperity, and governance principles. Businesses that implement these ESG indicators—which also promote openness and comparability—and rely on this new reporting method will show loyalty to their mission and commitment to long-term sustainable value.
Punit Renjen insists that the disclosures are supposed to support the current reporting and not replace it. They are a stepping stone toward the eventual objective of a single set of internationally agreed ESG standards. The more firms join this movement, the quicker the world can achieve sustainable change.
Source : Weforum
