Responsible Business (CSR)

If businesses want to know where they rank when it comes to ESG benchmarking, an ESG score should be their top priority. An ESG score is a measure used by corporations to evaluate their current practices, enabling them to have a better understanding of their ESG performance and to identify areas of improvement. 

The rising concern around sustainability and climate change has accelerated the development and implementation of  Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices in corporations.  Organisations have now to make the right business decisions and manage environmental risk and impact. 

Even though ESG is becoming a priority for many organisations, some companies are not ready to incorporate it into their business. Being ESG-driven means your organisation now has new duties and responsibilities, especially with ESG becoming a major factor for investors. 

Even though ESG is acknowledged and valued by businesses, clients and investors, there is still a lack of consistency when it comes to the regulation of ESG in a company’s operations. 

As more businesses place corporate social responsibility at the core of their operational activities, CSR has become something that requires dedicated planning, with close attention paid to both strategy and policy. 

As a startup, you have your work cut out for you. From limited resources to concerns about sales, investment, customer service and finding the right talent… Chances are CSR strategy is not at the top of your list of priorities – but its importance is growing and startups ignore this opportunity at their own risk…

A well-developed startup CSR strategy can actually help improve the outcomes for many of the core concerns keeping founders awake at night. From talent retention to funding, CSR can help accelerate your impact. 

Companies are expected to play an increasingly significant role in making the world a better place. Today, customers, employees and investors are more driven to engage with purpose-driven companies that are taking action to overcome economic, social and environmental challenges. 

Our world has never been so well connected. News - both good and bad - travels fast, and we’re used to a 24/7 rolling news cycle, from both mainstream sources, and our social media feeds. We’re increasingly accustomed to seeing corporate responses to emergencies or major appeals roll out in real-time. As a result, there’s a growing public awareness of (and expectation for) better, bigger and more decisive action on the part of the business community in times of crisis, or when disaster strikes.

Since the 2006 United Nation’s Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) report, ESG criteria – Environmental, Social, and Governance – have been an essential component in the financial evaluation of companies. In the time that has passed since then, ESG has become an increasingly significant factor for major investors, who expect to see effective strategy, tactical implementation and tangible results in all three fields.

Welcome to the second in our "Your Way To CSR Leadership Series" of interviews, where KindLink speaks to the professionals leading the way when it comes to progressive CSR practice around the globe...

Today we speak to Ife Fanabi – who works as a Social Value Project coordinator within the AECOM Social Value team in the UK and Ireland.

How does AECOM see Social Value and what does a Social Value manager within AECOM do? 

The business world is no stranger when it comes to the leverage of acronyms – but in recent years, two have taken particular prominence when it comes to discussion of business positioning and values – ESG and CSR. 

ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance – and covers the range of initiatives and activities that a business may enact in order to align themselves with a positive impact, social contribution and reduced environmental damage.