ESG+: Moving Beyond ESG as a Risk Management Tool to One Which Drives Performance and Value

Though the implementation of ESG factors makes businesses better, the current frameworks for assessing a company’s compliance with ESG metrics are complex given the number of standards and approaches, and for a small and medium sized enterprise (SME), integrating an ESG lens into its core business can be quite challenging. This panel unpacks SEAF’s development of an ESG+ strategy that leverages our newly created proprietary Impact Scorecard to go beyond using ESG as solely a risk mitigation tool to one that drives performance and optimizes value for both the business and the community in which the business operates.  Utilizing holistic data-driven solutions which drive growth, the framework is customizable in the sense that it enables small businesses to target specific areas that will generate the greatest environmental and social impact for their particular business and community.  The framework is also applicable across industries and is simple to use, while also comprehensive, to provide the most accurate snapshot of individualized improvement areas for any given company. As this panel will demonstrate, despite the seeming tension between optimizing impact and maximizing revenue, implementing ESG considerations should not conflict with a company’s financial performance; in fact, integrating ESG solutions into post-investment technical assistance actually has the potential to drive financial performance.