Building a Foundation for ESG

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives are becoming more critical to the way organizations operate, even as these initiatives become more commonplace. Yet, ESG brings with it a host of questions as to its definition, how it’s managed, and — perhaps most importantly — how it’s measured. This white paper, based on 30 interviews with corporate legal department leaders and heads of sustainability and supply chains, outlines why ESG is receiving such high-level attention, where the responsibility for ESG implementation and execution currently sits within organizations, and how companies are ensuring governance and compliance within their existing supply chains. It also describes the in-depth challenges plaguing companies around ESG data collection and measurement. Finally, it summarizes the tools or services that organizations are currently using to execute ESG analytics, reporting, supplier risk-screening solutions, and where technical and operational gaps still exist.

By reading this white paper, you will obtain an in-depth understanding of the current challenges companies are facing. These include how companies are coping with varying ESG definitions by industry, how they are navigating the varying international and global frameworks of standards, and how they are keeping up with the regulatory landscape of new and evolving requirements. This white paper illustrates opportunities to consolidate and automate ESG measurements for reporting disclosure and gives an overview of ESG leadership structures and roles, both in the public and private space.