the ESG , to develop policies , develop systems and make sure those practices were fully integrated within the investment process . Obviously I started from a social perspective , and then learned more about the governance and environmental aspects as I went ,” she explains . “ Once you start working on all of them , you start to see how integrated they are and together they drive the company towards sustainability .”
Although her educational background lies in the social aspect of the ESG role , Manavhela emphasises the governance aspect of the ESG role as a starting point for effecting positive change within the social and environmental elements . “ For me , governance is the lens . Once there is good governance within the company it becomes much easier to approach , say , the environmental and social aspects .” She admits that the challenge at the heart of applying ESG within a company is measuring the impact in line with financial performance . “ For example ,” she points out , “ companies might not recognise the needs of their employees until they are on strike and only then will recognise the losses
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