Brendan Walsh is Founder & Managing Partner of ESG Risk Guard (www.esgriskguard.com), established in 2020. A seasoned executive, Walsh has spent the majority of his career working in global financial services where he developed an interest in sustainable development. This interest was bolstered by a board position with the UK regulator for the gas and electricity markets which led to Walsh completing a Master’s in Sustainability at Harvard and membership in the Global Association of Risk Professionals. ESG Risk Guard was founded out of a desire to assist companies in navigating ESG risks while preserving financial health and wellness and benefiting the planet in a way that is specific to their organization.
Brendan was a contributor to this article which does a terrific job of discussing the basics of ESG and the intersection of ESG with Sustainable Technology. The article covers the essentials, including the role sustainable technology can play in helping an organization achieve their environmental, social and governance goals while enabling digital transformation. The article outlines why organizations are turning to sustainable technology to integrate ESG initiatives into business models and begin delivering tangible outcomes for stakeholders and demonstrates how technology can be a key enabler and accelerator of ESG success.
In this article, Brendan outlines how Value-added resellers (VARs) are in a unique position to help customers, suppliers, and themselves promote a more sustainable planet. He discusses how VARs can help customers meet their sustainability goals, now both a major business imperative and a major business opportunity.
No matter through what lens you look at the breakdown of global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, buildings always make up a significant portion.
The industry has had to deal with numerous significant challenges over the years, and the latest one is managing ESG and climate-related risks. The good news is that when it comes to ESG risk, the sector is ahead of the curve in incorporating ESG measurement into their overall risk management practice. However, as the old adage goes, the devil is in the detail. And measuring the impact of climate change, which has been more rapid, devastating and all-encompassing than anyone could have imagined, is notoriously difficult. Difficult, but not impossible.
In this article, we take a closer look at Private Equity and the role it can play in tackling climate change. The good news is that it can and does play a significant role. In addition to measuring their own carbon footprint, PE firms are in a unique position to control and influence their portfolio companies, particularly important given that ESG and specifically climate-related risks are increasingly material for private equity investors.
Concerns over climate change continue to dominate with hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters taking place with alarming regularity, against a backdrop of an annual rise in global temperature that threatens to disrupt the global ecosystem.
The role that small and mid-sized companies play in creating jobs, driving innovation, and leading the GDP growth of pretty much every developed economy in the world is well known to us all. As are the traditional challenges they face; managing cash flow, keeping up to date with new technology advancements, a lack of dedicated resources and attracting investment are just a few challenges on a very long list. But I would argue that the new kid on the block – ESG Strategy – has the potential, when fully addressed, to offer small and mid-sized companies a real and distinct competitive advantage.
Few would disagree with the fact that ESG concerns have rarely garnered more attention than right now, yet the ‘social’ aspect of risk remains the least referenced and measured aspect of the ESG discipline.
With the very welcome and intensifying public interest in climate change and the risks it presents to businesses large and small, I have received numerous questions covering the entire spectrum of climate-related risks. This piece was developed to facilitate and expedite understanding of climate change and climate-related risks, intended for those seeking an entry-level understanding of the subject for their business needs or those with a general interest in the subject.
Burning platform? Tipping Point? Code red for humanity? Mutual suicide pact? It doesn’t really matter how you choose to describe this week’s report from the IPCC. It is the starkest warning yet about climate change.
