ESG Support | Investing In Our People

ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance – three categories that enable businesses to measure the real sustainable and societal impact of their outputs. These target areas need to see genuine, persistent improvement for you to experience real positive change in the workplace and the world around us.

WHY SHOULD YOU CONSIDER IT?

A commitment to environmental and social wellbeing is increasingly on everyone's agenda and ESG is now a key element in company statements. The pursuit of B Corp status may be viewed by some as restrictive and an unnecessary cost that would harm profits. However, this view is becoming more and more old fashioned as CEOs and shareholders begin to recognise the competitive advantage that can be gained, and the benefits reaped by the local and global community.

Becoming a B Corp can have obvious benefits; like a positive impact on your brand and greater recruitment appeal, but there are also some less obvious perks. It can drive performance – happier employees work harder; it can improve the saleability of an organisation - investors are increasingly looking to diversify their portfolios and there may be less due diligence required in a sale of a company that is B Corp certified.

The world is changing and we are seeing more and more consumer goods companies take the 'B Corp' plunge. However, one thing is for certain, ESG is now at the forefront of investor’s, worker’s and the consumers’ mind.

WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP?

The initial step is to complete the online assessment at www.iiop.co.uk, which addresses the 5 key areas of impact:

Governance - Mission Engagement, Business Transparency and Ethics.
Workers - Financial Security, Engagement, Worker Satisfaction.
Community – Diversity and Inclusion, Economic Impact, Supply Chain Management.
Environment - Environmental Management, Land, Water, Air and Climate.
Customers - Customer Stewardship.

IIOP and Financial Executives Group (FEG), our partners specialising in online business and corporate finance advisory, will review your score and assess whether it meets the standards.

POSITIVE BRAND GROWTH

Sustainability is now mainstream, and brands are having to fight harder to win. Positive sustainability credentials give your brand a competitive edge and keeps you on top of their mental shopping list.

GREATER RECRUITMENT APPEAL

Having IIOP 'B Corp' certification shows your potential new recruits this is fundamental and increases your likelihood of getting that great new hire.

GREATER INVESTOR APPEAL

There is a growing impact-oriented investor community focused on financing profit-led businesses with strong ESG values. Private equity houses employ ESG specialists to show their backers that their portfolios reflect positive standards and best practice. There is an increasingly apparent trend that shows diverse, inclusive and accountable investments are favoured.

Signal to current and future investors that your company is already beginning to measure and manage its social and environmental performance with the best tools available.
Demonstrate strong governance by adopting the legal framework early to protect mission and brand equity from the beginning.
Focus on building a great business! Remember, the first rule of mission-driven business is "no margin, no mission."