5 reasons why mid-market businesses should care about ESG

ESG makes good business sense

As global challenges like COVID-19, climate change, and economic inequality force leaders to rethink how business is done, it's clear that traditional methods of profit-maximization are no longer sufficient. Instead, businesses need new strategies that will drive equitable growth and long-term prosperity that do no harm.

"If we look at what's happening in the world today, the raging fires across western Canada and the 40-year drought in Chile," says Stephen Payne, a Partner in BDO's Energy and Natural Resources practice, "we can see that these issues will continue throughout this decade and into the next unless we become more responsible about reducing our carbon footprint and the emissions that are causing our planet to change its climate."

Whether you're a publicly traded or private company, ESG initiatives will be critical to the supply chain for any company, and accountability will be a two-way street.

"If I'm interacting with other vendors and stakeholders who don't have the same level of responsibility, then ultimately, I become that way as well,” says Payne. “If, for example, I purchase raw materials to resell in Canada, and that organization advocates slave labour or other types of labour that we wouldn't tolerate in Canada, then ultimately, I'm responsible for that too, because I'm allowing that to happen."

ESG improves financial performance

ESG practices not only present companies with a powerful way to address the challenges of climate change and move towards a future defined by social justice and equity, but they also play a pivotal role in the long-term performance and value of a company.

They act as a check and balance for board members and executives seeking to make decisions that could potentially harm shareholders. They also provide a layer of risk mitigation in identifying a company that is a potential choice for future investment.

According to Pierre Taillefer, BDO's National Consulting Sustainability Leader, companies with ESG frameworks perform better than those without. And it can attribute to higher valuations. There's also plenty of academic evidence that supports the business case for ESG .

"If a company lacks a clear ESG plan and is looking for an investor or investment,” says Taillefer, “a buyer may subscribe a discount to reflect the lack of sufficient and robust ESG risk management. As a result, institutional investors may actively avoid non-ESG organizations and assets with poor ESG standards."

When it comes to the investment decision-making process, Armand Capisciolto, BDO's National Accounting Standards Partner, says, “ESG reporting is not about screening out bad actors. Instead, it's about providing information for making informed investment decisions. It's about looking at all aspects of a company's performance and how it will fit into an investor's portfolio.”

Millennials and Gen Z care about ESG

Of the 24 million Canadians in the working-age population in 2021, 33.2% were Millennials and 17.6% were Gen Z, according to Statistics Canada’s 2021 census.

In a time where real-time news is just one click away, and everybody with an internet connection has the power to share what they want, these two age cohorts award brands with their spending power and attention. They show their appreciation or disapproval in just a few seconds.

Companies that focus on sustainability and social responsibility will likely gain more attention because they align with the values important to these age cohorts.

“Whether it’s customers, government compliance, or future employees, the market is telling us that ESG is important—if your business hasn’t taken active steps in this direction, you’re not going to be able to attract that same level of customer, vendor, or employee as your competition. What we’re seeing at BDO from new talent that we attract is that people in their 20s find a lot of value in what companies can offer with respect to benefits, time off, and making sure they can show up to work as their true authentic selves,” Scanlon says.

Stand out against the competition

How you communicate your commitment to ESG will be just as important as your performance itself. Greenwashing, or using misleading or unsubstantiated claims to promote your company as environmentally friendly, is not going to cut it.

If you want to remain attractive to investors and gain recognition as a top employer, effectively communicating your ESG story in a way that builds trust with other stakeholders will be paramount.

Stakeholders can include current or potential investors, consumers, suppliers, regulators, civil society groups, the media, governments, other organizations operating in your industry or sector, and employees.

Communicating consistently about ESG themes will also drive behaviour change within your organization by influencing how people act, think, and feel. Finally, it enhances your business's competitive edge and reputation by communicating its ESG commitments to raise customer and stakeholder expectations.

"Again, whether it's environmental, social, or governance," says Capisciolto, "people want to know what you're doing as an organization. People are asking for this information, and regulators are watching. Ultimately, it's only going to add to your competitive advantage."

ESG reporting framework

In 2020, five leading sustainability and integrated reporting organizations—the CDP, the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)—announced a shared vision for a comprehensive corporate reporting system, which includes financial accounting and sustainability disclosure.

This means that in the race to become sustainable, more and more companies will need to demonstrate that they are compliant with specific criteria, including those around diversity, inclusion, and carbon GHG emissions.

If the time is not now to build ESG into your overall strategy, then when?

"Even we're getting the ask internally when we submit RFPs to demonstrate what we're doing," says Taillefer, "and that is pushing us to move as well."

If you are already building ESG into your strategy, then you are ahead of the curve and should be commended for it. But if not, we can help.

Sources
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20430795.2015.1118917
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-626-x/11-626-x2019006-eng.htm