A common question when devising and setting off on your ESG journey is whether those responsible for its success have the right competencies. With any new and evolving discipline it can be difficult to confidently answer, yes.
Brokers are no different from the numerous other businesses across the UK to the extent that they may be looking to equip themselves with the necessary skill sets to deliver on their ESG ambitions.
However, you don’t need to put your progress with ESG matters on hold while you think about this. A quick review of the ESG material topics explored in ESG Stepping Stones one to eleven may highlight many areas where you have already made or are making progress.
It may be possible for you to identify and engage with individuals who are already carrying out work in ESG as part of your ESG actions. In smaller firms this may be one or a few people that have already shown an aptitude, and who are enthusiastic about developing your ESG agenda.
As your work develops you might want to consider the following actions for highly effective delivery of your ESG Plan:
- determine the necessary competencies of the roles tasked with the ESG action plan
- ensure that people are competent based on appropriate education, training or work experience relative to their role where required, take actions to bring in the necessary competence, through training, mentoring, or the recruitment.
The below resources may be informative for training on ESG/sustainability:
- The SDG Academy: hosted by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Association, a global initiative for the United Nations. The portal hosts a number of short training sessions on UN SDGs and related topics
- Environmental Sustainability Course: this is fully funded by Government. It provides an “overview of the principles of sustainable development, communities and energy management, and the social responsibility of businesses in relation to sustainability”
- Explore ESG/sustainability courses from reputed universities and experts on popular portals, such as edX and coursera.