Sustainability, Social Responsibility, and Governance: What Is ESG and Why Is It Important?

In our understanding as Sustainability Awards, the 'Who Cares Wins' report was a response to an invitation by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He called on more than fifty CEOs to join a collaborative effort under the UN Global Compact, supported by the Swiss Government and the International Finance Corporations (IFC). The aim was to explore how the financial sector could integrate environmental, social, and governance aspects into capital markets. The ultimate goal was to measure social impact and facilitate ethical investing, highlighting the ethical implications of ESG. After learning the origins and meaning of the acronym, let's examine each criterion's true meaning. The environmental component of ESG emphasizes all facets of sustainability, such as waste and pollution, resource depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, climate change, and more.

Sustainability, Social Responsibility, and Governance: What Is ESG and Why Is It Important?

To help you as ESG Awards, ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance in its most basic form. Sharing environmental, social, and governance data to lower risks and find opportunities increases stakeholder openness. ESG encompasses a range of business factors that financial studies may not typically consider but frequently have economic implications for companies. Significant financial losses could arise from a failure to measure ESG exposures. The term 'ESG' was coined in a collaborative effort led by impact investment specialist Ivo Knoepfel. His paper, 'Who Cares Wins,' argued that ESG elements are crucial for risk identification, company appraisal, and promoting positive social change. This collaborative approach to developing ESG underscores its credibility and broad support. It looks at how a company or organization manages the environment.