As the saying goes, consumers vote with their wallets. Every time we go into a store, click “Add to Cart” when shopping online, pick a restaurant, use a rideshare app, or stay at a hotel, we are expressing a preference. Similarly, by avoiding a particular store, website, or service, we are saying, “I don’t like
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The KPMG Survey of Sustainability Reporting (the Survey) is one of the most comprehensive pieces of global research in the sustainability arena. First published in 1993, the Survey is produced every two years. In this article, we summarize some interesting findings from the 2022 report, titled “Big shifts, small steps.” The 2022 Survey analyzes Environmental,
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“Corporate governance” refers to the rules and oversight that dictate how a company operates, and how effectively those rules and regulations are implemented. One goal of good governance is to align the interests of various stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, and customers. This involves meaningful internal controls, ranging from enforcing policies against harassment and discrimination in
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Some people think about incorporating ESG priorities across company operations in a way that focuses on difficult trade-offs. Where is the balance between reducing carbon emissions and maintaining production at a level that meets energy demands? How can we invest more in our employees while preserving shareholder profit? Does pursuing good governance practices interfere with
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Imagine going to the grocery store to shop for one person with food allergies, another person on a low-sodium diet, and someone who is pre-diabetic and has to stay away from added sugars. You would rely on the nutrition labels and lists of ingredients on the packaging to know what to buy. Now imagine that
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One of our pet peeves is when someone states a derogatory opinion dressed up as a fact, and in doing so misleads others who are then likely to repeat the criticism to colleagues and friends, and then it snowballs. People who know the actual facts may try to dispute the opinion-stated-as-fact, but if the criticism
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This summer, the European Parliament endorsed the European Commission’s decision to classify investments in natural gas and nuclear power plants as climate-friendly under the EU taxonomy. For those not familiar with the EU taxonomy, it’s goal is to define which economic activities are “environmentally sustainable” to help protect investors from greenwashing and guide companies to
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In case we needed another reminder that ESG is not just about “E”-related things, and that there are real risks, costs, and opportunities associated with each pillar (E, S, and G), here is a prime example. It shows why the “G” in ESG – Governance – matters for companies that care about data security and cybersecurity.
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ESG/Sustainable Investing has become a political issue for some, and there is a misperception that asset managers are willing to accept lower returns in order to pursue ESG goals. The truth is, while a small percentage of ESG investment funds are set up to do that (look for the word “Impact”), the vast majority do
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The next time you toss out an overripe banana or search for the “Use By” date on a can that has been in the cupboard for, umm…, a while, think about this: Estimates show that up to one-third of all food produced worldwide is never consumed, and 1.4 billion hectares of land, which represents 28
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Carl Sagan once wrote, “For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.” In other words, he dealt in facts. For those who are not old enough to remember Carl Sagan, he was an astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, and
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How’s this for stating the obvious: Understanding risks and analyzing opportunities requires data. It’s true for every business, and applies to financial risks and opportunities, product and market risks and opportunities, and ESG-related risks and opportunities. Another obvious statement: data is often difficult to gather, organize, standardize, and actually put to use in decision-making. Again,
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