The history of ESG starts in 2004 with the late Kofi Annan, then the UN Secretary General.He was becoming increasingly concerned about the damage business owners were doing to the environment and to social structures. He wanted to find ways to integrate what we now refer to as ‘sustainability’ into capital markets.
The first outcome of that group was a ground-breaking study conducted by the Swiss Government and the International Finance Corporation. And it was ground-breaking in its simple title, “Who Cares Wins”. Do pause and note that — you need to really care to make it work. And when you do you’ll see the results it brings you — you’ll see that who cares really does win.
That ground-breaking study is where the ‘ESG’ acronym was first ‘coined’.
ESG looks at environmental issues across the three dimensions of Environmental, Social and Governance; specifically lower energy consumption, reliance on renewable resources, reducing carbon footprint, employee welfare, relationships with all stakeholders of companies (moving beyond shareholders for the first time), and looking at how those issues could be included in a company’s accounting and financial practices.
ESG represents this transition from purely profit-driven metrics to those that factor in the broader impact of a company’s actions.
Most of us were brought up on a simple version of business success — we learned early on that the success of a business was measured primarily by its financial performance.Now we’ve grown into understanding and embracing, as a priority, a much more holistic view of success. Because of that, aligning with ESG criteria is no longer just a moral choice; it’s a strategic one.
Imagine being able to contribute to a better future, and improve the lives of others as you go about your business. This can become an inspiring and exciting part of your journey.
Companies with a robust ESG framework can be seen as less risky and more forward-thinking. They can be seen as better prepared for future challenges, from regulatory changes to societal shifts. When you implement ESG in your business, you no longer become just another business in the sea of sameness, simply chasing customers and profits.
ESG requires rethinking business operations and innovating to tackle issues relating to resource usage. As businesses work to reduce their carbon footprint/ energy usage, win-win solutions emerge.
Today, people are seeking greater meaning. When your business focus extends beyond just profit, you attract generous, talented and purposeful people to your business. The workforce is getting increasingly demanding and diverse, with 78% of GenZ respondents in a recent survey by Deloitte emphasising the need for businesses to address societal issues.
Paul Polman, Former Unilever CEO, Global Goals Ambassador
At B1G1, we naturally agree with with making ESG easy and tangible.
But again, we want to suggest that ESG as it currently stands is making doing it overly complex. And because of that, things don’t get done. It’s the “simple scales; complex fails” paradox in action.
What B1G1 does is make ESG easy.
AND, perhaps most importantly, B1G1 lets you make making an IMPACT an integral part of what you do. Better yet, because B1G1 does all of the work for you, you can — quite literally — start today. Now.
Again, B1G1 lets you directly integrate impact into the very core of your business — it turns the potentially complex ESG into the very simple definition:
Embed
Social
Good
It’s a unique and powerful way to ‘ESG’ — Embed Social Good.
In 2007, a group of small-business owners had an idea. They asked, “What if we could make something great happen in our world just by doing the things we do every day?”
It was a question that deeply inspired them. Three years and a great undertaking later, they were able to design the systems and processes necessary to make it work, and their dream is now a reality.
Today B1G1 is run by a social enterprise (registered company in Singapore) and non-profit organization (501(c)3 registered in the US) with a mission to create a world that's full of giving. Unlike conventional giving models, B1G1 specifically helps businesses achieve more social impact by embedding giving activities into everyday business operations and creating unique giving stories.
Every business transaction can help improve lives for as little as just one cent.
Lynn & Brown Lawyers set a series of ‘triggers’ or company goals across various business functions and departments. Each month, as they achieve their goals, they give to causes close to their hearts such as providing an e-Learning hub for Aboriginal communities in Australia, feeding a child in crisis in Vietnam, or giving clean water to a school in Zambia.
Includability is a UK-based platform that sets the standard for an inclusive, sustainable and mentally healthy workplace culture.
With the same commitment to creating impact with their business, Dave and Paul (Founder and Director) of Includability integrate B1G1 into every aspects of their businesses.
As Dave puts it,
"We had always thought that in order to create any kind of impact, we needed to raise £100 or £500 or a £1000 for a local charity or community project, but B1G1 changed all that.
B1G1 not only enables us to create meaningful impacts from very small monetary amounts, but it provides us with the opportunity to share in the joy that we get through giving regularly.”
Includability’s first Impact Report is certainly testament to the profound impact they’re having in our world. And Dave’s message to others who are also thinking about following suit? The time to create impacts is now!
"To any business that feels it’s hard to give or that there’s never quite enough time or you need just a few more pennies in the bank before you can begin, you don’t need to wait any longer. B1G1 is the most amazing, accessible, fun platform that we’ve ever come across that enables us to create incredible global impacts every day.”
Collectively, B1G1 Businesses have already created over 300 million giving impacts, from planting hundreds of thousands of trees and providing millions of days of access to life-changing opportunities.... In B1G1, the possibilities are endless.
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Siobhan Mullins
Separate Together
Oliver Sheer
Director
Nathan and Ann Marie Coe
Owners, Coe & Coe
Egle Blekaityte
Owner
Graham Purvis
Managing Director
Contact us to find out how your business can become a real force for good in the world.
