Emanuela (Emmy) Hawker’s Post

Fantastic to attend the ESG Summit in Croke Park recently! Really great to see the range of companies who have shown that they have already moved from talk to action. Key themes for enabling faster transition to net-zero from the sessions I attended: 👨⚖️ Sort out planning and set the grid up for success in the energy transition. We have an abundance of renewable energy sources to take more advantage of, but we need to recognise the opportunity for Ireland and get decisions made on harnessing it for our collective benefit. We can't wait years in the courts for those decisions. Equally, we need to ensure our grid can cope with the transition to dispersed micro-generation and fluctuating supply. Investment in this will be key. 📜 CSRD isn't just on the minds of the big corporations. Small-to-Medium enterprises are acutely aware of their position in the value chains of companies who will be subject to CSRD, even if they are not. Substitution on the basis of not being able to provide the data points their customers or suppliers need is a real worry. ⛓ The supply chain is where the opportunity and challenge still remains. Many companies presented on, or discussed, the success of implementing mitigation actions such as alternative fuels (more to come on that!) and successful Scope 1 & 2. reductions. However, the success of a company's transition of its business model to be compatible with a just and fair net-zero society depends on its ability to reduce the climate impacts it facilitates in its value chain (Scope 3). Whether this be flying, food production, logistics, retailing, or apparel. Anthesis is here to help leverage our deep supply chain sustainability expertise, efficient corporate ESG reporting, GHG accounting using digital platforms, and net-zero strategy development. The best thing is, we do it as a multi-disciplinary team who takes a partnership approach with you - facilitating the upskilling of your employees to effectively manage sustainability priorities. If you are interested in hearing more about our service offerings in Ireland, reach out to myself, Ria Kearney, or Clare F.. #ESG #Climate #Sustainability #ESGIreland #GHGAccounting #CSRD #SustainabilityConsulting #Scope3 #CarbonFootprint

"We see sustainability and business growth as dual value carriers for our organisation’s long-term success, so we will continue to focus on the internal capacity-building as well as external engagement with our partners. Speaking of the trends in 2024, addressing challenges faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) globally will become ever more pressing. We always talk about financial inclusion and digital inclusion, but sustainability inclusion for SMEs is equally important." In a conversation with Eco-Business, Leiming Chen, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ant International, shared more about our approach to corporate sustainability, highlighting our focus on SME enablement, R&D on energy-saving and carbon-reduction technologies, and using our technologies to enhance public awareness of green and low-carbon practices in daily life. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gXNi3AuY

Climate Insider team had the opportunity to attend a panel discussion themed around the evolving role of the Chief Sustainability Officer at the Economist Impact's 9th Annual Sustainability Week. The panel discussion featured speakers including Christopher Davis (The Body Shop International), Robert Metzke (Philips), Noémie Bauer (Pernod Ricard), Chris Davies (Harvest London), and Michael Gidney (The Fairtrade Foundation), moderated by Jonathan Birdwell. The key takeaways from the session include: 🌱 Christopher Davis highlighted the trend of the CSO role leaning towards compliance over the past five years, prompting discussions about its long-term necessity. 🌱 Naémie Bauer, offering fresh perspectives as a newcomer to the CSO role, emphasized the evolving focus on operations alongside compliance. She stressed the importance of a forward-looking approach and the transition towards embedding sustainability practices within organizational operations. 🌱 Chris Davies, representing a vertical farming company, underscored the advantage for startups in embedding sustainability values from inception. He acknowledged the variability of implementation across industries, particularly noting unique challenges faced by sectors like food. 🌱 Michael Gidney highlighted the mainstreaming of sustainability within modern business and the necessity for technical proficiency to address various challenges. He emphasized the need for CSOs to navigate a tough macroeconomic environment and attract investment from sustainability-focused investors. 🌱 Robert Metzke emphasized the multifaceted nature of sustainability challenges and advocated for collaboration among stakeholders. He highlighted the role of Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) in creating value and monetizing sustainability initiatives, while mitigating the risk of greenwashing. #SustainabilityLeadership #CorporateResponsibility #ESGStrategy #SustainableBusiness #EnvironmentalStewardship #SustainableOperations #SustainabilityInnovation #CSORole #CorporateSustainability #CollaborativeSolutions #SustainabilityIntegration #ClimateAction #ClimateTech

We're publishing a new thought piece series on the EU's CSRD, the implications for business and how businesses and sustainability professionals can prepare to meet these new requirements. We want to hear from you! what aspects of CSRD do you find most challenging or confusing? What elements would you like us to do a deep dive into?

📢 We’re thrilled to introduce a new comprehensive blog series, "Navigating CSRD: A Guide for Sustainability Professionals." As the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) continues to shape conversations in the sustainability world, we're here to provide in-depth insights and practical guidance. Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll share our thoughts on all things CSRD, how it will impact companies, and how companies can best prepare.   Our series will cover: ✅ Key implementation steps ✅ Common challenges and solutions ✅ Alignment with other standards and frameworks ✅ Double materiality ✅ Assurance requirements ✅ EU Green Investment Tool ✅ And more!   Read our first blog piece introducing the series here: https://lnkd.in/gWunM8Yh   Drawing from our extensive experience with CSRD gap assessments for clients, in addition to what we’re seeing in the market, we'll address the pressing questions many companies face.   Stay tuned for regular updates on our website and social media. We're committed to helping you navigate the complexities of CSRD with confidence.   We’d love to hear from you. Have questions or topic suggestions for what you’d like to see covered in this series? Email [email protected]

#sustainability #teambayer I am proud to have contributed - as #clinicaltrials and #transparency are part of this report.

Huge thanks to Reuters Events Sustainable Business for organising the fantastic Sustainability Europe conference in London this week.   My key takeaways:   *Complying with CSRD is a (really) big effort.* Every speaker said they had initially underestimated the time and effort it would require to report under CSRD. It’s a huge lift, even for the largest companies; Merck’s Kai Zinn said their existing 200-page pre-CSRD ESG report only met 1/3 of CSRD requirements. *Even the biggest companies are using third-party providers.* Not even one of global companies presenting was managing all parts of CSRD compliance in house. Most were using at least one platform to gather/organize their data and a communications firm (like LEFF !) to advise on storytelling and produce a beautiful final product. *Companies seeing CSRD solely through a compliance lens are missing a trick.* Tom Dodd, team leader of sustainability reporting at the European Commission, stressed that companies that weren’t using CSRD internally for strategic purposes were getting it wrong. CSRD is about “reporting material issues to investors... it’s about running a good company in a resilient economy.” As Good to Go’s Jamie Crummie put it, the aim of CSRD is “to embed sustainable practices across the business and force businesses to use an ESG lens in decision making.” *Narratives matter under CSRD...* Companies need to lay out clearly how ESG fits into their strategy and business model. ESG reporting leads, including Deutsche Telekom’s Julija Dietrich, also talked about the importance of finding the right internal narratives to get buy in from across the business. *... but CSRD-compliant reports will not speak to all key stakeholders* As Coca Cola’s Galya Tsonkova stressed, the CSRD reporting structure is too rigid to allow all companies to tell their sustainability story and "brand intangibles" in compelling ways. Carlsberg’s Monica Keaney said they were looking at other formats—including videos, interviews, and additional reports—to lay out the ‘how’ or the rich stories behind the headlines and speak to those not able or willing to read CSRD reports. In the end, CSRD reports will need to tell the company’s overall ESG narrative in a compelling way, but the individual stories that sit underneath that will have to communicated in other formats and on other platforms. *Move over #Greenwashing and #greenhushing* Nestle’s Emma Keller introduced the audience to #greenlighting (where companies spotlight areas where they are performing well, and ignore everything else) and #greenshifting (where companies try to deflect criticism by pointing the finger of blame at someone else—often regulators, other companies, or consumers). Companies need to get sustainability comms right, but it sure is complicated. Need help? Drop me a line to discuss how we at the LEFF sustainability group can help you find your story and tell it clearly, compellingly, and with impact.

Below is a summarized collection of insights that we have heard from Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs) recently. Covering topics such as how global businesses are approaching sustainability strategies, responding to reporting requirements, addressing stakeholder feedback and communicating their priorities, these insights highlight the importance of sustainability across industries and the role of collaboration in driving meaningful change. https://lnkd.in/dSrJ4Rav

Here's a little video of me talking about How to be a Chief Sustainability Officer, working with Anna Krotova, and what you can expect in the book. You can find it here: https://mybook.to/xTTo

💡 Flashback to our successful event last week in Brussels where we navigated the path from EU sustainability legislation to sustainable business practices. 🔎 Together with Tom Dodd (Team Leader Sustainability Reporting, European Commission) &  Ann Vandenhende (CSR Manager, Spadel) we explored the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and its accompanying European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). With the first CSRD-compliant reports yet to be released, companies still have many, many outstanding questions on how and what to report, and are in need of further guidance (which we heard is on its way). 🔎 With Wannes Van Giel (CEO, bigtrees) we dove deeper into how to avoid Greenwashing by credibly, transparently and authentically communicating with your target audiences -  and discovered fascinating best practices. ❗Our key takeaways: ▶ Reporting under CSRD requires dedication and hard work but when approached in a ‘beyond-compliance’ way - it can be a powerful tool for a truly impactful and (business) integrated sustainability strategy and implementation. ▶ The jury is still out as to how the CSRD will indeed help stakeholders to determine which business is more sustainable than others - but we see good practices arising. ▶ CSRD reporting is new to everyone and it is OK (even if confusing at times) to explore what works for you and what does not. ▶ The most important tip to avoid greenwashing is to have true, intrinsic motivation to be sustainable, give insights into your plan and be open and honest about your implementation, also if that means admitting things that are not going so well yet. 👋 We would like to warmly thank our speakers and the engaged, pro-active audience. Together, we made this evening a real success that asks for more! #Sustainability #CSRDreporting #AntiGreenwashing #Brussels