Once your ESG objectives and priorities are determined, it is important to identify resources (employees or contractors/third parties) to play each of the following roles, to implement the ESG plan:
- Responsible: This resource is responsible for developing the deliverables identified. The people responsible are ideally working-level team members with operational responsibilities and may report to people who are accountable.
- Accountable: The accountable party is typically the person or group responsible for ensuring the action plan is completed. This is usually someone with sign-off authority or one of your team authorised to make decisions for the business. The accountable parties are typically the business owner, steering committee lead, part of the governance bodies, or the manager of the key responsible person(s).
- Consulted: Consulted individuals are those from whom feedback, and inputs should be gathered while the ESG plan is being implemented. Consulted parties are often those in departments of the business that could be impacted for example legal, IT/information security, compliance, and subject matter experts.
- Informed: Informed persons are those you simply want to keep in the loop. These individuals do not have to be consulted or be a part of the decision-making process.
It may not be possible for every firm to have every role, but it is recommended to have as a minimum an accountable person (or persons) for ESG objectives.
TIP:
The success of any ESG plan will depend upon the support provided to the team responsible for its implementation.
The following considerations may assist with retaining and developing your team, particularly in the formative stages of ESG policy development:
• Social: calm, collaborative and non-confrontational behaviours towards the teams/individuals identified above
• Psychological: conducive work environment which is stress-reducing, burnout prevention and emotionally protective
• Physical: good working conditions and necessary hardware/infrastructure