Why are we even doing this?
ESG is dead 💀
Everyone has been talking about it.
After the EU Omnibus, the whole foundation of why we’re working with ESG crumbled for many organizations out there.
Because if we don’t have to, why should we? Especially when funds are tight and there are many other things we need to do 🤔
Let’s rewind the clock ⏰
The year is 2018, Sustaina Company is brand new, and Anne needs to spread the word about how important sustainability is.
Back then, it was pretty much the wild west in the land of sustainability 🤠
Without rules to refer to and rely on, what was the business case for CSR back then?
Well, as much as it can feel like a burden now, postponing it could create an even bigger burden for you. Or as Anne wrote back in 2019:
When you start your own company, like I have, you may – just like me – start out by piling all your receipts in the corner, for when you have time (which is never!).
You may think to yourself that you need to regularly sort them and file them in your accounting system, but for some reason the pile of receipts in that corner of your desk just keeps growing and growing. And growing.
In the end, it feels impossible to get to the bottom of the pile and get all the receipts organized and filed. But there’s no way around it, either you hire a person to help you or you yourself get to work and start filing them one by one.
What are we trying to say?
With less legislation (but not no legislation!), we’re kind of back to when we were talking about CSR and not ESG.
There are things you don’t have to do anymore – and some you can press pause on for the time being ⏸
But ask yourselves: Who do we want to be as a company? Why did we even start our sustainability journey in the first place?
No matter your reasons, you can’t deny that it has given you valuable insight into your business and products 💡
Why run the risk of giving up that insight? When ESG comes back around (because it will), you’ll have an overwhelming task ahead of you – just like Anne with her receipts.
So maybe we should start seeing ESG (or CSR) as a sort of “hygiene factor”, something to make sure you have your things in order.
Aaaaand remember that ESG is not actually dead 😉
Need help convincing management of that? And perhaps also with creating an action plan once they’re on board?