Your sustainability achievements, targets and ambitions could make you Company of the Year in one of the world’s most prestigious and sustainable awards programmes. Now in its tenth year, the Global Good Awards scheme has grown exponentially and offers an excellent opportunity to share and learn from innovative organisations across multiple sectors and territories. EcoOnline are sponsoring the search for the 2024 Company of the Year, and we would love to hear about your responsible business, positive impacts and inspiring actions.
Disclosures on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, alongside sustainability reporting, are becoming a crucial communication task for modern global organisations. Europe’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosure rules are now in place, and sustainability legislation has grown by around 150 percent worldwide over the past decade. Whatever their size or sector, the most forward-thinking and ultimately most promising organisations are feeding off that growth to showcase their contributions.
One common myth to dispel is that ESG programmes and sustainability achievements are the domain of global enterprises. On the contrary, companies of all sizes are seizing the chance to do well by doing good, and recent studies show that 77 percent of small to medium-sized (SME) manufacturers are seeing ESG-related requirements from their customers. As supply chains account for significant environmental and social impact, firms are justifiably building ESG-related conditions into supplier contracts as part of revamped procurement strategies.
The Global Good Awards recognise companies which set an example for others to follow, but sustainability is a challenging journey and the judges don’t expect perfection in all aspects of a company’s activities. We’re looking for a clear transition plan towards becoming a sustainable, purpose-driven operation, with measurable outcomes and impacts over the last three to four years and clear commitments to future progress.
Another common illusion is that sustainability is too costly, and companies can’t afford to invest in responsible business. In fact, evidence continues to grow that clear integration of ESG goals within a company’s core business and operations can deliver significant competitive benefits in revenue growth, profitability and talent attraction. In a recent survey, three-quarters of global senior executives saw sustainability driving better business results and being a revenue-enabler rather than a cost centre.
Well-balanced ESG strategies drive top-line growth and bottom-line profitability, helping organisations to win work in tenders and meet public expectations for consumer purchases. They can also generate cost savings in resource and energy use, source alternative materials, improve business travel, shape procurement processes and cut waste. In ongoing tough trading conditions, ESG could be the key to growth through real leadership in environmental performance, social best practice, good governance and core business integration.
Success in the Global Good Awards will, of course, require evidence and data from key performance indicators, which is an area of significant investment for organisations over the next few years. With a recent report showing that 95 percent of senior business executives saw high quality ESG data as key to realising the value of sustainability initiatives, two-thirds have already increased funding for sustainability data collection and management solutions. EcoOnline provides just this kind of technology, transforming the way organisations protect people and the planet for future generations. This is at the heart of how we see future business, and a key motivator in our search for Company of the Year.
Entries for the Global Good Awards are open until the end of April, and there is a wealth of information, advice and support on offer to give you the best chance of success. Take a look at the entry process here, and you could take the first step towards sharing your story with the world. As a Global Good Awards judge for the third successive year, I can't wait to read and be inspired by them all … in an Olympic year, will it be yours that takes home gold?