Part 3 in our series What to Expect from Digital Sustainability ESG Training

What to Expect: Building the Business Case

In April 2023, New York City issued a new sustainability plan, “PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done”, one that focuses on means as well as ends. Seattle is among the many cities around the world that are adopting the principles of a circular economy. This means that they are emphasizing the importance of reducing wasteful consumption patterns and promoting approaches that focus on reusing, repairing, refurbishing, or remanufacturing goods and materials. The City of Atlanta’s new chief sustainability officer, Chandra Farley, says Georgia’s capital city can achieve 100% clean energy by 2035. San Francisco is the heart of the tech world.  The city also has some of the most progressive environmental and social mandates in the US too. One would think corporations in these hubs would be equally sensitive to sustainability issues and successful.  CSE research shows this is not the case.

What are they missing that you’ll know after taking the CSE Digital Certified Sustainability (ESG) Practitioner Program (Leadership Edition)? 

CSE training starts and finish by making the business case for sustainability.  If a company cannot advance financially, they can’t help their community of stakeholders.  A key stakeholder group is investors.  Investors want to see that a company’s income is enhanced by its sustainability efforts. 

A recent survey from Kin&Co pointed out that there is a significant return on investment (ROI) when it comes to an organization’s culture and purpose. Companies that prioritize employee engagement and foster a strong sense of culture are not only 21% more profitable but also 17% more productive, and they experience a considerable decrease of nearly 60% in employee turnover. During uncertain times, the importance of culture and purpose becomes even more pronounced according to Kin&Co. Following the 2008 recession, organizations that placed emphasis on these factors not only survived but also outperformed their competitors by a factor of three. This relevance holds true today, despite the prevailing cost of living crisis.

A significant majority of professionals in Europe (59%) state that they would refuse to work for a company that does not align with their values, and even a higher salary offer (55%) would not sway their decision.

In fact, “crises exacerbate the disparity between top and bottom performers, with approximately 30% of a company’s long-term relative total shareholder return being determined by its performance during such challenging periods”.

Employee engagement emerges as a key factor in this regard. A report issued by the UK government one year after the 2008 recession revealed compelling evidence: organizations with highly engaged employees were able to achieve 43% more revenue, 12% better customer advocacy, 18% higher productivity, and four times greater financial performance.

If you don’t want to dig into corporate reports, ranking agencies do the work for you.

 The S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI) recently added to its global Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) index family. The new set of indices provide ESG performance profiles enhancing leading indices including the S&P Global 1200, Europe 350, S&P/ASX 200 and S&P Japan 500. The new indices also include ESG versions of S&P DJI’s country and regional benchmarks covering North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.  This release follows the April 2019 debut of the S&P 500® ESG Index.  Eligibility criteria track companies’ ESG Scores, business activities and adherence to the UN Global Compact (UNGC).  Index criteria also exclude companies such as those involved with tobacco or controversial weapons, for example.

 If you didn’t follow that last paragraph, you will after taking the CSE training.  Corporations need customers, employees and investors to grow. These key stakeholders are demonstrating their reliance on sustainability issues to judge which products to buy, where to work and where to invest.  Without them, there is no business.  So, expect to leave a CSE training knowing how to make the business case for your company.

 Upcoming Digital Certified Sustainability (ESG) Practitioner Programs.  

Reach us at [email protected] for early bird and group discounts and at [email protected] for group training opportunities.

CSE is proud to be leading the Sustainability transformation of companies and organizations around the world, through specialized Certified Training Programs, Sustainability Academy online courses, and Sector-specific, Integrated Consulting Services.

Discover more about our transformative initiatives at www.cse-net.org

Upcoming Programs: Certified Sustainability (ESG) Practitioner Program, Leadership Edition 2023.

 Location: Digital

Date: July 12-13 & 14, 2023

           Sign Up: Certified Sustainability (ESG) Practitioner Program, Leadership Edition

           For more information & discounts contact us at [email protected]

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