SUSTAINABILITY
This enhanced factual perspective in turn leads to greater insight as to which aspects of their current ESG strategy are working and which might require further attention .”
ESG efforts and sustainability initiatives at Intelex According to Henderson , there is a significant difference in ESG maturity , with Europe being around two years ahead of North America . But even with this notable discrepancy , there is still a long way to go before there is anywhere near the level of maturity in other areas , such as health and safety .
“ The regulatory framework is a factor here – with organisations not facing equivalent ESG compliance requirements compared to those in health and safety ,” explains Henderson . “ A key challenge faced by those working in the industrial and consumer manufacturing sectors is ESG performance measurement . In essence , many companies are struggling with data and are not easily able to put together a complete picture of their ESG efforts .”
Henderson understands why organisations are struggling to collect the data they need to deliver key reports for regulatory purposes . “ Our research findings show that 48 % of companies in the consumer and industrial manufacturing sectors are using separate solutions , or basic software such as Excel and even – in extreme cases – no digital methods at all .”
Using a dedicated software solution for ESG management can act as a catalyst for organisations to get their ESG practices on track and drive-up business performance . “ Giving sustainability managers and other ESG professionals the necessary data to inform their decision-making creates a virtuous circle : helping secure buy-in from colleagues for their ESG initiatives – internal support that is vital for determining successful uptake , practice and outcomes .” Intelex surveyed more than 700 EHS and ESG professionals across Europe and a wide range of sectors . It ' s clear that the greatest challenge faced by organisations is getting their employees on board with ESG initiatives .
“ According to our research findings , over a third of businesses report that the key challenge they face is internal support of and adherence to their EHSQ and ESG efforts . This issue is one that is fundamental to corporate culture . How do you drive engagement to get people at every level to play their part and own the challenge of improving how the business operates ?”
Ultimately , Henderson believes that bringing people on board with EHSQ and ESG initiatives means removing barriers to engagement .
“ Our experience shows that the key to this is having the right tools and the right data at your fingertips , alongside the correct training and engagement with the workforce to ensure everyone is on board from the outset ,” he says . “ Often , we see an organisation ’ s EHSQ and ESG data located in a mismatch of software , and we have found that most organisations are using solutions that aren ’ t fit for purpose , meaning they are unable to put together a complete picture of ESG activity .”
Post-COVID-19 business recovery The COVID-19 pandemic was a reality check for businesses who , up until that point , had been reluctant to embrace digital transformation and suddenly found themselves unprepared for the increasingly digitised world that lay ahead .
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