November 16, 2021

Webinar One: Introduction to Sustainability

Welcome to the first webinar in the Strategies for Sustainability training and networking series. In this webinar you will be introduced to the benefits of integrating environmental sustainability into your reporting, how targets and commitments are set and what expectations are put on your business.

Agenda

Introduction to Program

  • Overview of program, personnel and resources

What is Sustainability?

  • What is Sustainability? (familiarisation with all aspects (e.g. not just environment)
  • Benefits of integrating ESG
  • Maturity model (where on your journey are you)
  • Why is ESG important to your business?
  • How are targets and commitments set? (overview only – dealt with in detail in later webinar)
  • How does the business determine material topics? (overview only – dealt with in detail later webinar)
  • What expectations are put onto your business? (e.g. investor expectations, joint venture expectations)

Additional Resources

ESG Reporting Maturity Model:

The Corporate Sustainability (ESG) Reporting Maturity Model can assist companies to step through their sustainability journey. It shows how a company can leverage the reporting process to truly integrate sustainability into its business and publish a report that will gain the confidence of key stakeholders. See more details here.

ESG Reporting Frameworks:

A few of the major sustainability reporting frameworks are highlighted below with a link to a description of their reporting standards, recommendations or guidance. Please note however, we will be discussing these in much more depth in Webinar 2: Sustainability Frameworks.

Table 1-1 Sustainability Reporting Frameworks
Framework Link to guidance
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/
Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) https://www.sasb.org/standards/
Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) https://www.fsb-tcfd.org/recommendations/
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) https://sdgs.un.org/goals
Integrated Reporting (IR) https://www.integratedreporting.org/resource/international-ir-framework/
Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) https://www.cdp.net/en
Certified B Corporation (B Corp) https://bcorporation.net/about-b-corps
International Organization for Standardization – Social Responsibility (ISO 26000) https://www.iso.org/iso-26000-social-responsibility.html
Useful articles

Mckinsey article providing an in-depth review of ESG Benefits

Case studies

Sustainability-Case-Studies-Final.pdf (cimaglobal.com)
Growing Sustainable Businesses with STEM | Chief Scientist (nsw.gov.au)

Scope of Business Sustainability

Webinar Recording

Get all the latest news from the BPP