CPA Bulletin

www.cpa.uk.net CPA Bulletin > November 2022 15 CPA CONFERENCE: 4 well as public reaction, would persuade organisations to follow good practice. Tom Hadley agreed that companies obviously had to make verifiable claims about their ESG achievements, but that it was also important to set the right goals with measurable parameters. For example, just saying that a business was ‘the best to work for in its field’ was clearly superficial and meaningless; but understanding why people left your company and putting right any issues cited, or talking to existing personnel about why they liked working for the organisation could give benchmarks for improvement and useful, positive data. He stressed the fundamental importance of setting relevant, measurable goals, quoting as an example Heathrow Airport which has set itself the target of doubling the number of women in management posts by 2028. This set a benchmark against which progress could be monitored. Tom also said that smaller businesses should not feel overwhelmed or fear being left behind on their ESG journey when comparing themselves against larger counterparts with more resources. There would always be leaders and early adopters whose experiences can be emulated; and it is also important to involve all elements of the workforce, sharing opinions and experiences. This would again engender a sense of togetherness, perhaps making the business a more attractive place to work for and raising its profile in measurable ways. Indeed, Dani Saveker of GLAS warned against having a ‘tickbox culture’ that just generated bland data and prevented genuine engagement. Companies had to understand why they were setting particular ESG goals and what they wanted to achieve, much of which was sound traditional business outreach practice, such as engaging with local communities, charities and schools. She realised that firms had many management obligations and tasks besides ESG targets, so it was important to take ‘baby steps’ first. And implementing change was more a case of creating a newmindset and an ongoing process of improvement rather than seeking a one-off solution. Dani also highlighted that sustainability is about an organisation’s own future survival as well as that of the planet. “Ask yourself where will your business be in five years’ time. If you don’t grow the value of your business, then technically it is in decline. Adopting ESG practices can create growth and attract investors,” she said. David Murray of Sustainability First pointed out that various organisations can give guidance on benchmarking and achieving ESG goals. He also emphasised the important role that associations like CPA play in representing the views and requirements of their members to Government and regulatory bodies in order to shape policies. “Take ownership of ESG,” he said. “Don’t let it swamp you. Work together, collaborate and design a framework that works for you. Look beyond the acronyms and buzzwords.” Prior to lunch, Merryn conducted a ‘walking and talking’ roving interview session, whereby she carried out a live interview session with each of the 21 exhibitors at the Conference. The footage was live streamed to the audience and Merryn asked each of the exhibitors what was on their stands and what ESG meant to their organisations.