Sustainable solutions for a resilient future

Read more about key terminology

• Sustainability

  Sustainability can be defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In business, there are three pillars of sustainability – economic sustainability, environmental sustainability and social sustainability.

  Economic sustainability is conserving natural and financial resources to create long-term financial stability. It is about ensuring that a business is also economically viable, so being here this time next year.

  Environmental sustainability has a greater focus on the systems that support human life, such as the atmosphere or soil, that must be maintained for economic production or human life to even occur. This includes carbon reduction, circularity, renewable and low carbon energy and biodiversity net gain.

  Social sustainability focuses on the human effects of economic systems, and the category includes attempts to eradicate poverty and hunger, education, community involvement, as well as to combat inequality. 

  Sustainability affects all organisations, their stakeholders and their supply chain. We work with organisations of all sizes and budgets to develop, deliver and embed impactful and lasting sustainability.

• ESG

  ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance. Originally established as a framework for the financial sector, it is often adopted as a framework for larger organisations and corporations to help better understand and manage opportunities to improve sustainable practices.

  ESG principally focuses on topics that have both a direct and indirect impact on the financial bearings of an organisation, such as how it is run, health and safety within the workplace, diversity and equality, environmental impacts and corporate philanthropy.

  We work with corporations and organisations to better understand the risks and opportunities associated with ESG, and gain greater control of their ESG concerns regardless of where they are on their ESG journey.

• Climate Change

  Climate change can be defined as the long-term shift in average weather patterns across the world. Since the industrial revolution, human activity has been responsible for an increased release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. These actions have caused global temperatures to rise. This rise is causing long-term changes to the Earth’s climate.

  We work with clients to ensure that their activities are responsible and that help to reduce the effects of climate change through carbon reduction related activities.

• Nature Positive

  “Nature Positive” is a concept that aims to create more biodiversity in the world in 2030 than 2020. The goal is to ensure that the work continues to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.

  The introduction of legislation like the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), provides the framework for organisations to be measuring and reporting their impact with nature in mind.

  We work with organisations to better understand the risks and opportunities associated to developing ecosystems and nature-based solutions that will support future generations.

• Responsible Business

  A responsible business, or business responsibility – otherwise known as CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), is how an organisation goes about maximising its contribution towards the delivery of the United Nations Sustainability Goals (UNSDGs).

  The 17 UNSDGs include social, economic and environmental goals and can be matched against key criteria amongst many of the reporting frameworks associated to most of the recognised Sustainability and ESG reporting mechanisms.

  We work with organisations to better understand the opportunities of being a responsible business and how that applies to mandatory and voluntary reporting as well as achieving and delivering on organisational strategic goals and wider societal benefits.

• Sustainable Procurement and Supply Chain

  What is a sustainable supply chain and sustainable procurement? Sustainable procurement is centered around the purchasing of goods and services that deliver wider environmental or societal good.

  The goal of supply chain sustainability is to minimise any harm to people and the environment arising from a product’s journey, from development and sourcing of materials to its production. Businesses and organisations must take into account repercussions from energy usage, water consumption and waste production in their supply chain.

  Managing your supply chain well can accelerate positive environmental impacts, (promote human rights and fair labour practices and support anti-corruption policies)

  We work with organisations to better understand, develop and manage their supply chain to become more sustainable. This includes the management, measurement and reporting of accurate and verifiable scope 3 emissions.

• Circularity

  Circularity, or the circular economy model, is the principle of not viewing a material as waste but as a resource, therefore keeping resources in use for as long as is possible, and in doing so minimising waste. The overall goal of circularity is to ensure the adoption of practices that are centered on sustainable production and consumption. At a business to business level this is often referred to as industrial symbiosis.

  We work with organisations to identify opportunities to embed circularity principles through design and production of goods and services (construction for deconstruction) as well as with a focus on end of life repurposing and reuse.

• Social Value

  Examining and looking to improve the social value of your business or organisation can create positive effects in your community, for clients and stakeholders, and for wider society. Social value is a measure of your positive contribution to our communities and our society.

  Social value is increasingly important in terms of business sustainability. We work with organisations to better understand what the opportunities of adopting a social value approach can have from delivering meaningful societal good and legacy programmes to winning tenders and bids.

• Environmental Management

  Environmental management is when a business or organisation employs strategies to avoid deleterious impacts on the environment. These strategies can involve measures to conserve energy, water and other resources used in industrial activities.

  Environmental management is cross-disciplinary, bringing together elements of science, law and business, and it involves businesses adapting quickly to a changing environment, climate change impacts, pressure to adopt green services and products, and principles of sustainable development.

  We work with organisations on a wide range of issues, including waste materials management, global warming, loss of biodiversity, land degradation and the management of water and land resources.

• Impact Measurement

  Impact measurement is about measuring and monitoring the effects of your business operations to mitigate any environmental harm and maximise the value of your positive environmental (and social) impacts.

  We work with organisations to better understand the opportunities and also the risks associated in terms of legislative compliance.

• Net Zero Carbon Emissions

  See our Net Zero Carbon Consulting Service Page

• Materiality and Double Materiality Assessments

  Materiality assessments are a comprehensive process of analysis that involves identifying and prioritising Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues that present substantial risks and/or opportunities for a business.  

  Double Materiality vs Single Materiality 

   

  Single Materiality

  Financial (outside-in) focuses on the impacts of external ESG factors on the company’s financial performance. This is the traditional method implemented by companies, specifically aimed at benefiting investors (shareholders). 

  Impact focuses on the company’s influence on the economy, environment, and people, with the aim of benefiting various stakeholders, including investors, employees, customers, suppliers, and local communities. 

   

  Double Materiality

  This is the union of financial and impact materiality. It broadens the scope from the former investor focus on how sustainability impacts a company’s financials, by equalising the impact on society and the environment. 

  Single materiality only provides a partial picture of a company’s performance. The traditional financial method doesn’t consider the impact on areas such as the environment and society. This can lead to green-washing. Double materiality provides a more complete picture of a company’s sustainability performance. It allows them to better mitigate risk and opportunities along with aligning performance with the needs of a wider range of stakeholders (not just shareholders). However, it is a more complex process and can be costly to collect and analyse more data with the additional resources required. 

  We work with organisations and their stakeholders to conduct, review, report and embed materiality assessments within organisational strategies, roadmaps and reporting.  

• Sustainability and ESG Legislation

  The regulatory landscape of existing and upcoming sustainability legislation can be hard to navigate. Every country has its own reporting mandates and national objectives.

  The Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) are guidelines designed to assist companies in revealing climate-related financial risks and opportunities to stakeholders Read more in our blog on the TNFD.

  The forthcoming UK Sustainability Disclosure Standards (SDS) will outline corporate disclosures affecting sustainability-related risks and opportunities. These standards will serve as the foundation for any future requirements in UK legislation or regulation, mandating companies to report on sustainability-related risks and opportunities, including those arising from climate change. These elements collectively contribute to preventing greenwashing practices by companies. This will hopefully be endorsed by July 2024.

  Following COP15 UN biodiversity summit in Montreal, countries reached a consensus to safeguard one-third of the planet for nature by 2030. Aligned with this commitment and the provisions of the Environment Act, the UK established legally binding biodiversity targets to address issues such as air pollution and species depletion. There is a growing emphasis on companies setting targets and disclosing information on biodiversity. The Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) currently operates as a voluntary biodiversity reporting framework, mirroring the earlier trajectory of TCFD.

  From an EU perspective the introduction of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is significantly impacting the landscape of ESG reporting. CSRD came into force in January 2024 and replaces the EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD). This has an indirect impact on UK business.

  We work with organisations to better understand and gain greater control of the legislation beyond mere compliance.

• Sustainability and ESG Advisors

  Our experienced Sustainability and ESG advisors will provide guidance to formulate your high-level Sustainability and ESG strategies based on thorough materiality assessments. Our work helps organisations to identify opportunities for value creation and pinpoint areas of vulnerability to form an effective response.

  We are able to help you to align your commercial strategies with corresponding ESG and sustainability priorities.

  • Enhance resilience through identifying any potential vulnerabilities
  • Analyse data for informed decisions
  • Communicate evidence-based narrative to stakeholders
  • Articulate value proposition
• Sustainability and ESG Data

  Sustainability and ESG data – data measurement, management, monitoring, reporting and communication – is the foundation of all robust sustainability and ESG strategy and or activity.

  Measuring and reporting Sustainability and ESG data is a way for organisations to gain greater control by establishing transparency, trust, and accountability in their environmental and social goals. Greater levels of scrutiny and compliance are being placed on organisations to produce data that is valid and verifiable.

  We understand the importance of data. We work with organisations to ensure the right quality data is used and applied throughout all processes and decision making to ensure compliance and confidence.

• Sustainability and ESG Frameworks and Standards

  Sustainability and ESG Frameworks are used to develop sustainability reporting standards and evaluate environmental, social, economic and governance risks and opportunities.

  Frameworks can either be mandatory or voluntary. There are many frameworks that organisations may use. There are more than a dozen ESG reporting frameworks overall, each with its own metrics and reporting requirements which include IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards, SASB Standards, CDSB Framework, GRI Standards, CDP. S&P Global, Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), and the United Nations Global Compact.

  We work with organisations to navigate these frameworks and standards to identify what is appropriate for your organisation to adopt and use.

• United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs)

  In 2015, the United Nations introduced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), often referred to as the Global Goals. These goals serve as a collective mandate to combat poverty, protect the planet, and strive for universal peace and prosperity by 2030. 

  The SDG’s encapsulate a comprehensive framework for global progress and are comprised of 17 distinct goals and 169 associated targets. They underscore the interconnected nature of societal challenges, acknowledging that advancements in one area will inevitably impact outcomes in others. Emphasising a holistic approach, the SDGs recognise that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.  

  We work with organisations to align their sustainability strategy and activity with the relevant UNSDGs and to establish the value and opportunities in doing so.