ESG & SUSTAINABILITY SERVICES

  • ESG & Sustainability Support Service
  • Environmental Management Systems-ISO 14001
  • Green House Gas Reporting-ISO 14064
  • Energy Management Systems-ISO 50001
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Occupational Health and Safety -OH&S-ISO 45001
  • SMETA-Social Compliance Audits Support
  • SA 8000-Socail Accountability

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  1. ESG & SUSTAINABILITY

ESG is becoming increasingly important If you’re looking to expand your business in overseas to ensure economic, environmental and societal systems can exist in the future. Investors are also looking for companies that prioritize ESG performance so failure to comply can result in significant losses.

Sustainability is also important, as businesses are encouraged and expected to operate in an ethical and sustainable manner, and consumers are increasingly demanding sustainable products and services. By embracing sustainable practices and investing in sustainable business models, you can improve your risk management, increase competitiveness, and achieve long-term financial success.

  1. What is ESG? 

E-Environmental factors refer to your impact on the environment, such as its carbon emissions, waste management, and deforestation practices.

The environmental factors in ESG refer to a company’s impact on the natural environment and its ability to operate sustainably. Some specific environmental factors may include:

  1. Energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions
  2. Waste reduction and management
  3. Climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies
  4. Environmental impact of the company’s supply chain including sustainable sourcing of raw materials
  5. Product sustainability and eco-design

S-Social factors measure how well you address social issues such as employees, customers, local communities, and human rights.

The social factors refer to the ESG issues related to a company’s impact on its employees, customers, local communities, and human rights. Corporate social responsibility can also address the social factor of ESG.

  1. Labour standards and working conditions
  2. Employee diversity, equity, and inclusion
  3. Human rights policies and practices, including the prevention of forced labor and child labor
  4. Social and environmental impact of the company’s supply chain
  5. Support for local communities through initiatives such as volunteerism and job creation.

G-Governance factors refer to internal controls, executive compensation, and shareholder rights. It assesses the effectiveness of leadership, decision-making processes, and management structures, and how it impacts your stakeholders.

Governance issues and factors refer to the practices and policies that a company has in place to ensure effective management, decision-making, and oversight. Some specific governance factors may include:

  1. Executive compensation and incentives
  2. Shareholder rights and engagement
  3. Management transparency and accountability
  4. Audit and risk management processes
  5. Compliance with laws and regulations
  6. Data privacy and security

Investors use ESG criteria to make investment decisions. Companies with strong ESG practices often perform better financially and are more resilient to ESG risks. Additionally, consumers are demanding more socially responsible and sustainable investing options, leading to the rise of sustainable investing and socially responsible investing.

  1. What is sustainability?

Sustainability is the practice of operating a business in a way that meets the economic, social and environmental needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Environmental sustainability focuses on reducing or eliminating negative impacts on the environment by minimizing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reducing waste and pollution, and conserving natural resources. The social aspect focuses on promoting social equity, diversity, and inclusion by ensuring fair and safe labor practices that prioritize health and safety, human rights, and community involvement. Finally the economic aspect of sustainability focuses on maintaining long-term profitability, creating economic value, and ensuring responsible resource allocation.

Corporate sustainability aims to ensure that businesses operate in an ethical, responsible, and sustainable manner, and that they contribute to the well-being of the communities in which they operate. By addressing a wide range of issues, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving working conditions, promoting human rights, and conserving natural resources corporate sustainability can ensure businesses operate in a way that’sprofitiable and socially responsible. This will create value and benefit all stakeholders in the long-term.

2) ISO 14001- ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Environmental Management System standard sets out the criteria for an environmental management system. It provides a framework that a company or organization can follow to set up an effective environmental management system.

It can be used by any organization regardless its activity or sector.

This standard can provide assurance to company management and employees as well as external stakeholders that environmental impact is being measured and improved.

  1. Why to have ISO 14001:2015
  • Meet the company’s legal requirements and environmental impact.
  • Keeping the measurable objectives and targets to reduce environmental impact and be in legal compliance.
  • Gaining the support for an EMS from the company’s leadership.
  • Communicating and sharing the objectives, targets and results with both the internal and external stakeholders.
  1. Standard is applicable to

Organizations of all kinds which are concerned with achieving and demonstrating sound environmental management system, performance by controlling the impacts of their activities, products and services on the environment, which include manufacturing like Cement, Steel, Pharma, Chemical, Food Processing etc., and service industries likes Construction, ETP service providers and Software service providers.

3) ISO 14064:2018Specification with guidance at the organization level For quantification and reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and removals. 

Climate change has been identified as one of the greatest challenges facing nations, governments, business and citizens over future decades. Climate change has implications for both human and natural systems and could lead to significant changes in resource use, production and economic activity.

In response, international, regional, national, and local initiatives are being developed and implemented to limit greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the Earth’s atmosphere. Such GHG initiatives rely on the quantification, monitoring, reporting and verification of GHG emissions and/or removals.

  1. What is ISO 14064:2018 Specification with guidance at the organization level for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals

ISO 14064-1 details principles and requirements for designing, developing, managing and reporting organization- or company-level GHG inventories. It includes requirements for determining GHG emission boundaries, quantifying an organization’s GHG emissions and removals, and identifying specific  company actions or activities aimed at improving GHG management. It also includes requirements and guidance on inventory quality management, reporting, internal auditing and the organization’s responsibilities for verification activities.

ISO 14064-2 focuses on GHG projects or project-based activities specifically designed to reduce GHG

emissions or increase GHG removals. It includes principles and requirements for determining project baseline scenarios and for monitoring, quantifying and reporting project performance relative to the baseline scenario and provides the basis for GHG projects to be validated and verified.

ISO 14064-3 details principles and requirements for verifying GHG inventories and validating or verifying GHG projects. It describes the process for GHG-related validation or verification and specifies components such as validation or verification planning, assessment procedures and the evaluation of organization or project GHG assertions. ISO 14064-3 can be used by organizations or independent parties to validate or verify GHG assertions.

  1. Why ISO 14064:2018
  1. enhance the environmental integrity of GHG quantification,
  2. enhance the credibility, consistency and transparency of GHG quantification, monitoring and reporting,
  3. including GHG project emission reductions and removal enhancements,
  4. facilitate the development and implementation of an organization’s GHG management strategies and plans,
  5. facilitate the development and implementation of GHG projects,
  6. facilitate the ability to track performance and progress in the reduction of GHG emissions and/or increase in GHG removals, and
  7. facilitate the crediting and trade of GHG emission reductions or removal enhancements.

Applicable to:

Any company of manufacturing or service sector

4) Energy Management System

Would you like get the

  • Reduced risk of incurring energy-related fines and prosecutions, and lower insurance premiums.
  • Increased ability to proactively identify and address issues ahead of legislative changes.
  • Improved reputation and stakeholder trust.
  • Reduced waste and increased efficiency.
  • Sustainable energy use in the face of rising costs. 

ISO 50001:2018-ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Energy is critical to organizations, but often represents a significant cost – both to them and the environment.

World energy consumption continues to rise, it has more than doubled in the last 40 years and is projected to increase a further 30 % by 2040.

Energy is the major contributor to climate change, making up nearly 60 % of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Taking action to better manage our energy consumption not only helps the planet, it saves money for organizations and society as a whole.

What is ISO 50001:2018

ISO 50001:2018, Energy management systems – Requirements with guidance for use, is a strategic tool that helps organizations put in place an energy management system and use their energy more efficiently and effectively.

An energy management system helps organizations better manage their energy use, thus improving productivity. It involves developing and implementing an energy policy, setting achievable targets for energy use, and designing action plans to reach them and measure progress. This might include implementing new energy-efficient technologies, reducing energy waste or improving current processes to cut energy costs.

Why ISO 50001:2018

  • Reduction in energy consumption
  • Energy cost reduction
  • Emission reduction
  • The reputation of organisation.

Applicable to

  • a) is applicable to any organization regardless of its type, size, complexity, geographical location, organizational culture or the products and services it provides;
  • b) is applicable to activities affecting energy performance that are managed and controlled by the organization;
  • c) is applicable irrespective of the quantity, use, or types of energy consumed;
  • d) requires demonstration of continual energy performance improvement, but does not define levels of energy performance improvement to be achieved;
  • e) can be used independently, or be aligned or integrated with other management systems.

5) ENERGY AUDIT & ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT

Would you like to Reduce energy costs of the facility, competitiveness of the company is improved, Reduce the dependence on foreign energy sources, Reduce environmental damage and pollution, Increase the security of your energy supply.

Energy today has become a key factor in deciding the product cost at micro level as well as in dictating the inflation and the debt burden at the macro level. Energy cost is a significant factor in economic activity at par with factors of production like capital, land and labor. The imperatives of an energy shortage situation calls for energy conservation measure, which essentially mean using less energy for the same level of activity.

a)What is energy audit:

Energy Audit attempts to balance the total energy inputs with its use and serves to identify all the energy streams in the systems and quantifies energy usage’s according to its discrete function. Energy Audit helps in energy cost optimization, pollution control, safety aspects and suggests the methods to improve the operating & maintenance practices of the system.

It is instrumental in coping with the situation of variation in energy cost availability, reliability of energy supply, decision on appropriate energy mix, decision on using improved energy conservation equipment’s. instrumentation’s and technology

b)Why Energy Audit

  • To reduce energy losses up to 80% which in turn could save energy cost by 7 to 10%.
  • Save energy with no / low investment or investment with good ROI.

c)Applicable to:

Paper and Pulp, Cement, Iron and Steel, Sugar, Power Plants, Fertilizer, Pharmaceuticals, Facility management companies, high rise buildings, malls, commercial establishment, hospitals and IT companies.

d)Methodology:

As per BEE guidelines and Industry practices.

  1. e) Types of Energy Audit:

1.Preliminary Energy Audit

The Preliminary Energy Audit focuses on the major energy suppliers and demands usually accounting for approximately 70% of total energy. It is essentially a preliminary data gathering and analysis effort. It uses only available data and is completed with limited diagnostic instruments.

2.Detailed Energy Audit

The detailed audit goes beyond quantitative estimates of costs and savings. It includes engineering recommendations and well-defined project, giving due priorities. The detailed energy audit is conducted after the preliminary energy audit. Sophisticated instrumentation including flow meter, flue gas analyzer and scanner are use of compute energy efficiency.

6)ISO 45001-Occupational Health and Safety Management System.

Health and safety in the workplace are the number one concern of most businesses, yet still deaths and injuries occur. ISO 45001 sets the minimum standard of practice to protect employees worldwide.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), there are currently more than 2.78 million deaths a year as a result of occupational accidents or work-related diseases, in addition to 374 million non-fatal injuries and illnesses. Aside from the enormous impact on families and communities, the cost to business and economies is significant.

  1. What is ISO 45001?

ISO 45001, Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use, is the world’s first International Standard for occupational health and safety (OH&S). It provides a framework to increase safety, reduce workplace risks and enhance health and well-being at work, enabling an organization to proactively improve its OH&S performance.

  1. Why Implement ISO 45001?
  • Makes a safe place to work.
  • reduced number of incidents,
  • employee absenteeism,
  • employee turnover,
  • reduced downtime and reductions in insurance premiums.

What benefits it brings to organizations?

  • Key potential benefits from use of the standard include:
  • Reduction of workplace incidents
  • Reduced absenteeism and staff turnover, leading to increased productivity
  • Reduced cost of insurance premiums
  • Creation of a health and safety culture, whereby employees are encouraged to take an active role in their own OH&S
  • Reinforced leadership commitment to proactively improve OH&S performance
  • Ability to meet legal and regulatory requirements
  • Enhanced reputation
  • Improved staff morale

Applicable to:

Manufacturing such as Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals, Hospitals, Steel, Cement, Construction, Glass, Bakery, Paper and service industry like IT, ITeS.

7)Social Compliance Audits:

The issue of sustainability has grown ever more important over the years. Besides being thoughtful in their use of natural resources, companies today must also promote ethical and social responsibility along their supply chains.

The Supplier Ethical Data Exchange, or Sedex for short, is a globally renowned online platform that allows members to provide customers and partners with detailed information about their social and ethical performance. The aim is to ensure greater transparency across the entire supply chain.

Members include Tesco, Marks & Spencer, P&G and Nestle etc. SMETA members as well as many non-members adopt SMETA to evaluate and monitor the social responsibility performance in their supply chains.

Using SMETA, a supplier can have one audit conducted and share it with multiple customers, rather than having a different audit conducted for each customer. The compliance data is available to all on the SEDEX portal which gives you the benefit of easy access to your customers for your compliance status on Social and Ethical standards.

Benefits of a SMETA Audit?

  • Provide documented proof of current conditions and any actions taken to improve worker health, reduce environmental impact,
  • Improve sustainable sourcing,
  • Ensure that the social compliance practices are followed,
  • Boosting the company’s reputation among prospective customers and B2B partners.

Different Social Compliances Practices are

  • FSC-Forest Steward Council;
  • BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiativestandard)
  • SA 8000:2014-Social Accountability;
  • WRAP-Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production;
  • WCA-Workplace Conditions Assessment;
  • URSA-Unilever Responsible Sourcing Audits of HUL.

8)SA 8000:2014 Social Accountability

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and investment analysts scrutinize organizations to assess that minimum standards are upheld in the workplace and ensure that workers are getting a fair deal.

  • What is SA 8000:2014 Social Accountability?

NGOs, investment analysts and other stakeholders, including your employees, are increasingly evaluating your organization’s commitment to ensuring a fair and equitable working environment and transparent business practices.

This climate means that your organization will be called upon more and more to demonstrate its social responsibility.

The most widely recognized global standard for managing human rights in the workplace is Social Accountability International’s SA 8000:2014. It is an auditable standard, suitable for organizations of all sizes anywhere in the world, and provides a framework for assuring all of your stakeholders that social accountability is being stewarded by your management.

Why SA 8000:2014- Social Accountability:

  • To comply with local and customer legal and regulatory requirements;
  • To demonstrate that no Child Labour and Forced Labour is engaged;
  • Provide a safe and healthy work environment;
  • Respect the Freedom of Association and Right to Collective Bargaining;
  • No discrimination based on race, caste, origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union or political affiliation, or age; no sexual harassment
  • No corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion or verbal abuse
  • Comply with the applicable law but, in any event, no more than 48 hours per week with at least one day off for every seven day period; voluntary overtime paid at a premium rate and not to exceed 12 hours per week on a regular basis;
  • Wages paid for a standard work week must meet the legal and industry standards.

What benefits SA 8000 brings to business:

  • Enhanced opportunities to organise trade unions & bargain collectively.
  • A tool to educate workers about core labour right.
  • Less chance of accidents, better work environment leads to building of trust between workers & management.
  • Increased stability of the jobs to the workers
  • Enhanced company & brand reputation through adherence to this standard.
  • Improved staff morale & creation of a more committed work force.
  • Better relationship with the unions & other stakeholder.
  • Increased productivity due to employee’s loyalty,commitment, lower overhead costs and lower production costs per piece.

Whom SA 8000:2014 is applicable:

  • Companies seeking independence in verifying their social record.
  • Companies seeking independence in verifying their own social record and that of their contractors.
  • Contractors that produce goods for U.S. and European companies and wish to demonstrate to companies and consumers that they are treating workers fairly
  • Development or multilateral organizations seeking to ensure that they procure from companies that are not exploitative
  • SA8000 is a voluntary standard for social compliance based on the  UN Declaration of human rights, national labor laws and international human rights norms.
  • Many major retailers now accept international third-party audit frameworks like SA8000, rather than requiring suppliers to apply their own customized framework.
  • Walmart and Disney accept SA8000 audit results for their social compliance programs.