With increasing emphasis globally on the adoption of environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles, South African companies are urged to creatively embed ESG practices in their everyday operations.
This shift is particularly evident within value chains, with companies under increasing pressure to demonstrate responsible sourcing, reduce carbon intensity and ensure greater transparency across their operations and supplier networks.
As the EU implements carbon border adjustments, South Africa’s Climate Change Act takes effect and investors’ and banks’ expectations intensify, decarbonisation has, for instance, become imperative for corporations.
“Decarbonisation is no longer a matter of just avoiding or minimising your carbon taxes; it's actually material to you remaining operational because there are now pressures that are pushing corporates to ensure that they decarbonise. It is now an imperative to doing business,” noted Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) sustainable finance and ESG advisory transactor Tshepo Ntsane during Creamer Media’s recent ESG webinar.
Facilitated by Genesis shared value and impact practice principal Mark Robertson, panellists participating in the discussion explored how businesses are integrating ESG considerations into procurement, production and operational systems, as well as turning sustainability ambitions into measurable action.
