IAN SPAULDING TITLE : CEO COMPANY : LRQA
IAN SPAULDING TITLE : CEO COMPANY : LRQA
INDUSTRY : INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT
LOCATION : UNITED KINGDOM
Having moved through various roles in CSR , Ian Spaulding consulted with KPMG in 1996 , followed by positions at Business for Social Responsibility , Sears Holdings Corporation .
this factor into risk management from a commercial perspective ? From a leading global ESG assurance partner , Ian Spaulding , CEO of LRQA , points out some of the key trends in ESG he found last year , which he believes will be carried over to 2024 .
• Politicisation of ESG
• Due diligence enforcement
• Climate change and impact on supply chains
• Traceability and supply chain mapping
• Emergence of risk in unexpected places
Policies put ESG into practice The onus is on organisations to reduce their impact , and it ’ s been noted that a large portion of consumers – more than 65 % according to Harvard Business Review – want to buy products and services driven by purpose . While this is enabling a lot of traction among companies to deliver on this , there is little to stipulate , meaning much of this change is influenced by the market .
Imagine a scenario , for example , where consumer sentiments change and businesses continue to pursue profit in order to survive these external pressures . Without clear legislation , there is very little to protect against such a shift .
This is where policy is necessary to govern the response . More importantly , when it comes to reporting on sustainable activities , laws will determine a standard approach to visibility and therefore target greenwashing – a historical concern – and also ensure that companies are , declaring their approaches to and impact on the planet and its communities .
“ ESG has become a politically charged term , particularly in the US where the backlash against ‘ woke capitalism ’ has led to discussions about divesting government pension funds from ESGrelated investments ,” says Spaulding .
“ This has given rise to ‘ green hushing ’, with some companies reducing external visibility of their sustainability initiatives even though
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