Many companies and shareholders often overlook the full implications of not adhering to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards. Even if you might not place much value on ESG, those who support your business do—and they won’t hesitate to make their feelings known.
The fact remains that ESG is not just an ethical responsibility but also a strategic advantage in today's business landscape. If your business is compliant, your ESG strategy unquestionably adds value to your company.
Why Should Companies Care About ESG?
Companies have increasingly recognized the importance of prioritizing ESG for various reasons. Firstly, American corporate culture is changing. Businesses cannot thrive without being actively involved in the community and benefiting the people around them. This means not only serving their employees but also benefiting local residents, adhering to standards set by law, and preserving the earth as a whole.
A strong ESG strategy has three pillars:
- People: A successful company has systems in place to assess and improve workplace culture, company diversity, pay equity, and other social conditions.
- Planet: Protecting the environment must be key to a company’s vision and future direction.
- Profits: ESG practices go hand-in-hand with corporate governance and smart profit generation. Good practices simplify decision-making without risks to regular operations.
Competitive Benefits of ESG
- Risk Mitigation - One of the primary reasons ESG holds importance for companies is its role in risk management. Businesses with dedicated ESG strategies are better prepared to avoid and mitigate potential problems that lead to fines, reputational damage, and legal liabilities. By addressing these risks proactively, companies can protect their long-term financial performance.
- Future-Proofing - Early investment in ESG positions companies for success by mitigating preventable losses, allowing them to diversify and evolve from outdated business practices. Companies that innovate and adapt to environmental and social challenges often create new business opportunities.
- Reputation - Consumers are becoming more concerned about the long-term environmental impact of their products and services. Companies prioritizing ESG values can attract more customers and build brand loyalty, enhancing their reputation in the market.
- Global Supply Chain Resilience - The recent COVID-19 Pandemic highlighted the fragility of our systems and the vulnerabilities in the supply chains. As supply chains become more globally dependent on each other, ESG risks in one part of the supply chain can quickly impact others. Monitoring and improving ESG performance can enhance the resilience of a company's supply chain.
- Marketing Initiatives - Companies often see an uptick in business after announcing new socially conscious or eco-friendly business practices on social media channels. Your ESG score can introduce a new factor in buyer preference, pulling in a new customer base.
Cost-Effective Benefits of ESG
- Regulatory Compliance - As governments and regulatory bodies introduce stricter ESG-related regulations, some companies might use green-hushing to avoid legal consequences. However, these efforts are short-sighted and ultimately costly. Companies that proactively address new requirements are less likely to face legal and regulatory challenges in the future. Simply put, you will have to make changes later; doing it now puts you ahead of everyone else.
- Efficiency - ESG interventions improve operational efficiency, transforming what would have been discarded into usable material.
- Long-Term Sustainability - Companies that focus on ESG factors are often better positioned for long-term sustainability. Sustainable business practices can lead to resource efficiency, cost savings, and resilience in changing market conditions.
- Access to Capital - Financial institutions and investment funds are beginning to restrict investments in companies with poor ESG performance. Access to capital markets might be limited for companies that still need to meet ESG criteria.
- Investor Expectations - Pension funds and asset managers increasingly integrate ESG factors into their investment decisions. Companies that exhibit strong ESG performance tend to attract more investment and secure favorable terms from lenders and investors. This often results in a reduced cost of capital and enhances shareholder value.
- Company Valuation - ESG scores could be used to determine a company’s net worth, affecting price points during buyouts or other negotiations.
Institutional Benefits of ESG
- Talent Acquisition - Employees, particularly younger generations, more and more seek out employers that align with their values. Companies with robust ESG policies and practices can attract top talent and retain their workforce more effectively.
- Stakeholder Engagement - Engaging with stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, customers, and communities, on ESG issues can build trust and foster positive relationships. This can lead to smoother operations and better support during times of crisis.
- Employee Satisfaction - Environmental impact is a key consideration for many employees. Adopting ESG into workplace culture can improve employee engagement and loyalty.
- Innovation and Growth Opportunities - ESG considerations can drive innovation by encouraging businesses to develop new technologies and products that are more sustainable and socially responsible. Companies that proactively address environmental and social challenges may discover untapped markets and revenue streams.
Environmental Benefits of ESG
At Keter Environmental Services, we know that even small measures can have enormous benefits. While there is limitless potential for ESG to positively affect the environment, we focus on waste and recycling management strategies to reduce business waste and keep commercial bi-products out of landfills. Best of all, we handle the entire process, from vendors and data collection to ESG reporting and compliance.
Our commitment to ESG benefits the planet in the following ways:
Waste Reduction
ESG strategies encourage companies to reduce waste generation and lower the environmental impact of waste disposal.
Recycling
ESG supports adopting circular economy principles, which focus on designing products for reuse, recycling, and reducing waste. Increased recycling rates conserve resources and reduce the need for new raw materials.
Landfill Diversion
Increasing landfill diversion rates minimizes the environmental impact of products over their entire lifecycle.
Conservation of Natural Resources
ESG practices promote responsible resource management. These practices include efforts to minimize water usage, reduce waste, and adopt sustainable sourcing practices for raw materials. Such measures contribute to the conservation of vital natural resources and ecosystems.
Reduced Carbon Footprint
ESG initiatives often focus on reducing a company's carbon footprint. These initiatives can include increasing energy efficiency, transitioning to renewable energy sources, and adopting sustainable transportation practices. By reducing carbon emissions, companies help combat climate change, a critical environmental challenge.
Biodiversity Preservation
Companies with firm ESG commitments often engage in activities that protect biodiversity and natural habitats. For instance, they may support reforestation efforts, protect endangered species, or implement conservation measures.
Clean Energy Adoption
Transition to renewable energy sources, including wind and solar power, is a common ESG goal. This shift reduces dependence on fossil fuels and decreases greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable energy landscape.
Pollution Reduction
ESG practices often involve the implementation of pollution control measures. These measures include reducing air and water pollution, implementing cleaner manufacturing processes, and treating wastewater to minimize environmental impact.
Climate Resilience
ESG initiatives may encompass strategies to enhance a company's resilience to climate change-related challenges. These strategies can involve adapting to changing weather patterns and minimizing the environmental impact of extreme weather events.
Vendor Accountability
Companies prioritizing ESG in their supply chains often require their suppliers to meet certain environmental standards. Such requirements encourage a broader commitment to sustainable practices throughout the supply chain, reducing the overall environmental impact of production and distribution.
Innovation in Green Technologies
ESG encourages companies to invest in research and development of green technologies and sustainable products. These investments lead to further innovative solutions that positively impact the environment.
Water Stewardship
Companies with ESG commitments often engage in responsible water management practices. These practices include minimizing water usage, protecting water quality, and addressing water scarcity issues in their operations and supply chains.
Emissions Reduction Targets
ESG initiatives often involve setting emissions reduction targets in line with international climate agreements. Achieving these targets can significantly contribute to mitigating the impacts of climate change.
The Impact of a Negative ESG Score
Now that you know the advantages of investing in ESG, you need to be prepared for the negative impact of falling behind in social responsibility. In a world of online companies showcasing nearly identical storefronts, customers and investors are looking more closely at where and how they spend their money. Engaging in devious practices such as greenwashing and misinformation can actually be worse than doing nothing, as it can seriously damage a company's reputation and make consumers lose trust.
A business’s current operating procedures regarding social and environmental responsibility serve as an indicator of its future commitments to these issues. No matter what, your ESG score will differentiate you from your competitors—but only you have control over whether it’s for better or worse.
What Can I Do to Improve My Company’s ESG Score?
To raise your ESG score, you must first identify where you are successful and where you need to improve. Steps that might improve your company’s ESG rating include:
Start with ESG In Mind
Actively engaging corporate boards can play a crucial role in steering and molding ESG best practices. Before implementing any new systems, consider whether they meet your business needs without compromising the needs of future generations. All opportunities should be weighed against potential climate and social impact. If you keep your ESG rating criteria top of mind when making decisions, your rating will improve steadily as you grow.
Use Global Frameworks
Before making an investment, investors measure a company’s ESG against international standards like the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), and Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). These guidelines serve as a model for companies looking to boost their ESG ratings.
Identify Key Concerns and Opportunities
Identify the priority ESG concerns in your company and your industry. For example, distribution companies must consider how to optimize their waste management system for packaging materials, returned items, and damaged products.
To stay on course, companies might consider forming an ESG team or committee, enlisting in-house experts, and establishing a charter. Suppose you need an established chief sustainability officer. In that case, Keter Environmental Services can serve as your dedicated ESG reporting and compliance team.
Ensure Vendor Compliance
For companies aiming to maintain ESG compliance, carefully selecting vendors is essential. Adopt screening practices to reject businesses that fall short of sustainable practices and labor laws, only working with companies that meet a certain ESG standard. By prioritizing partnerships with ESG-certified third-party vendors, companies demonstrate their commitment to eliminating unsustainable practices and human rights violations throughout their supply and service chains.
Submit Clean Data
Your ESG score depends on the data and disclosures you provide to various rating agencies. Good data should be accurate, consistent, transparent, and follow the yearly reporting schedule. Your reporting should include raw and normalized data and have a balance of information. Investors will likely be skeptical of reports that have only positive facts, so include the areas where you intend to improve.
Produce Consistent Reports
Releasing regular ESG reports allows firms to highlight successes and celebrate new initiatives with stakeholders, investors, and the public. Consistently publishing these reports allows interested parties to track your progress and allows employees to see the impact of their daily work.
Make ESG a Company Value
ESG is much more than just a list of things to accomplish; It’s a cultural shift that requires permanently altering your company’s culture and business practices. To ensure long-term success, your corporate vision must prioritize company-wide ESG goals, from immediate compliance to future sustainability.
See the Benefits of Our Data-Driven Recycling and Waste Services
When you work with Keter Environmental Services, you have a dedicated team at your disposal to answer your questions and ensure your daily operations run smoothly. We help companies build achievable ESG strategies based on the specific needs of their businesses. Book your 30-minute demonstration today to see how we can help.
