Category Archives: Environmental Sustainability and ESG Reporting

Understanding ESG Materiality: From Definition to Implementation

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Materiality is an important concept in ESG. However, many organizations struggle to understand what it means, how it relates to their business and how to act on it. This article will look at what materiality is and what you need to do to incorporate it into your ESG Strategy.

graphic of three people standing in front of windmills, buildings and the world.

Highlights

What is ESG Materiality?
What Are the Different Types of Materiality?
What Are the Common Material Topics in Different Industries?
Is Materiality the Same in Different Industries?
Are Materiality Assessments Mandatory?
How Does a Materiality Assessment Benefit Decision Making?
How Do I Conduct a Materiality Assessment?
How Can Technology Help with Materiality?
Conclusion

What is ESG Materiality? 

In the last few years, ESG has moved from a nice-to-have element of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) programs to a critical component of corporate strategy. With mandatory requirements from the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) in the United States and CSRD (Corporate … Read more...

How Intelex’s New ESG Product Experience Can Help Reduce Your ESG Data Complexity

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Introduction

Just a few years ago, ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) was more an aspirational goal than it was a source of risk or strategic concern. Many organizations would issue sustainability reports to let the market know they took concerns about climate change and the environment seriously. Others would submit environmental data to voluntary frameworks to improve their brand and benchmark their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) efforts against their competitors.

Today, the world is very different. ESG has quickly moved from marketing campaigns to a serious legislative and regulatory obligation with significant consequences for corporate reporting and data management. Two recent developments demonstrate the serious nature of these obligations.

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) came into force in January 2023. While the EU (European Union) is the primary focus of the directive, any global organization that operates in the EU or has a supply chain that includes the EU … Read more...

ESG’s Growing Importance Will Draw Upon EHS Leadership

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Survey results show intrinsic links between the two practices of ESG and EHS with both areas sharing many common concerns and similar objectives.

The role played by environment, health and safety (EHS) in the development and execution of environmental social and governance (ESG) strategies may depend on who you ask.

A recent Safety + Health Magazine webinar highlighted 2022 research from Vance and Bourne conducted on behalf of Intelex and shed light on how EHS and ESG leadership professionals are dealing with their evolving mutual challenges. The resulting report – Big Ambitions. Complex Data. Limited Visibility – analyzes a survey of 450 professionals who occupy EHS and ESG leadership roles in North American public and private organizations representing 17 business sectors. 

Survey results show intrinsic links between the two practices with both areas sharing many common concerns and similar objectives. During the webinar it was revealed that a vast majority … Read more...

The Everyday Work of ESG Reporting

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Many have no idea where to start when it comes to ESG reporting responsibilities. Here are a few ideas to help get you moving in the right direction.

Environment, social and governance (ESG) principles have become a monolithic presence in the strategic thinking of today’s organizations. Consumer demands, investor concerns and mandatory regulatory reporting have taken ESG from the vague public relations exercises of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to the rigorous reporting requirements coming into force in many jurisdictions around the world. 

One of the difficult things about monoliths is that it can be tricky to get a handle on them. Their sheer size and complexity can be overwhelming for those who are not used to dealing with them. ESG is a monolith that has arisen relatively quickly to become a critical concern for organizational leadership. If you’re confronting the reality of having new ESG reporting responsibilities and you have … Read more...

New Research Shows EHS, ESG Compliance and Reporting Key Differentiators for Today’s Businesses

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Research from Intelex Technologies shows that EHS and ESG oversight and reporting are critical for helping companies attract workers, preserve their reputation and meet regulatory requirements.

The vast majority of environmental, health and safety (EHS) and environmental, social and governance (ESG) professionals believe that a higher level of EHS and ESG maturity in their organizations can drive new business, attract the best workers, and overcome regulatory compliance hurdles, according to findings released today from Intelex Technologies’ “Big Ambitions. Complex Data. Limited Visibility.” report.

Intelex, a leading global provider of cloud-based environmental, health and safety (EHS) management software, commissioned an independent market research firm to survey more than 450 EHS and ESG professionals across industries in both the United States and Canada on critical factors impacting their businesses. The survey, conducted in June 2022, showed that both health and safety and environmental oversight and compliance remain key concerns for today’s professionals.… Read more...

The War on ESG Greenwashing

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Many organizations brag about their green credentials, but how many of their claims are true? Whether by accident or through deception, greenwashing as part of ESG management is on the rise.
Many organizations brag about their green credentials, but how many of their claims are true? Whether by accident or through deception, greenwashing as part of ESG management is on the rise.

It’s not unusual for companies to be too enthusiastic when it comes to promoting the benefits of their products. Chewing gum doesn’t make life more fun, the latest technology gadget won’t guarantee your popularity and limited-edition running shoes won’t get you promoted to the NBA any time soon. Everyone knows this, but allowing this mixture of fantasy and reality to play out has been a fundamental tenet of corporate marketing for decades without causing any significant problems.

In the world of environment, social and governance (ESG), however, reality can hit extremely hard. When companies make promises to meet environmental commitments, such as reducing emissions, customers and regulators expect companies to keep those promises. When those promises fall short, the … Read more...

ESG Reporting is a Critical Skillset for your EHS Teams 

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ESG reporting is gaining more attention from regulators and standards bodies. Once voluntary, there is an influx of mandatory regulations across many countries.
ESG reporting is gaining much more attention from regulators and standards bodies. Once mainly voluntary, now there is an influx of mandatory regulations across many countries.

Commitment to ESG issues is high across organizations. It is driven by various internal drivers such as the desire to create a positive impact for the planet and society, avoid negative publicity, attract customers and better talent, etc. ESG reporting acts as a tool to provide evidence of a company’s activities and performance on the issues it has committed to work on.  

ESG reporting has become more sophisticated and formal than it was a few years ago. The reporting landscape is evolving rapidly. While it once consisted primarily of voluntary and intent-driven disclosures, there has been a recent influx of mandatory disclosure requirements to increase transparency of ESG data for better decision making. 

ESG Reporting: From Early Days to Today 

Looking back at the … Read more...

What is the Critical Data for ESG Management and Reporting? 

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With ESG reporting becoming a mandatory component of ESG management, you need to collect and analyze lots of data from across your organization. It can be hard to know where to start, but Intelex's ESG reporting software can help you figure it out.
With ESG reporting becoming a mandatory component of ESG management, you need to collect and analyze lots of data from across your organization. It can be hard to know where to start, but Intelex’s ESG reporting software can help you figure it out.

Environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) is an approach that allows organizations to measure their contributions to sustainability and ethical practices in a way that provides transparency to the market, financial benefits to the organization and benchmarking for industry. It is a response to increasing calls around the world for organizations to play a more significant role in creating a sustainable future while maintaining ethical behavior and contributing to the communities in which they operate.  

ESG is an implementation of the aspirations of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which contains 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) according to the following categories, as shown in Table … Read more...

It’s Not All Bad News: How ESG Management Is Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change

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Why Your ESG Management Program is a Good-News Story
Many organizations are innovating to become more sustainable. From leading brands to small businesses, everyone can make a contribution to building a better world.

In the fight against climate change, the news reports can be dire reading. This summer alone, an unprecedented heat wave in China is impacting the global supply chain, creating hydropower shortages and providing conditions for devastating fires. The American south is grappling with weather that shifts radically between drought and severe flooding. In the UK and Europe, a brutal heatwave has killed hundreds and caused significant property damage as a result of rural fires. 

It would be easy to say that this is simply fearmongering by the media, but regular reports from climate science support the thesis that man-made climate change is having a significant impact on severe weather events. No matter where we look, the news about climate change seems all bad. 

However, the truth … Read more...

Cory: No Waste from Waste

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By focusing on recycling and resource recovery, Cory keeps materials in use for as long as possible and helps grow London’s circular economy.

Cory’s goal is to ensure London has a safe, clean and sustainable way of managing its recyclable and non-recyclable waste. The company uses a river-based infrastructure to help London manage its recyclable and non-recyclable waste, making the city cleaner and safer.

Founded in the mid–late 1800s and incorporated 125 years ago in 1896 as W.M. Cory & Son, the company has evolved from a coal distribution company on the River Thames into one of the UK’s leading waste management, recycling and energy recovery companies. Their vision is to be partner of choice for sustainable waste management throughout London and the South East of England.

The company’s vision is to be the partner of choice for sustainable waste management for London, with the objective of preventing unnecessary … Read more...