ESG sustainability for resilience

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An Environmental, Social & Governance focus is a force for good

Widespread concern and focused activism about climate change and inequality are having far reaching effects. Businesses and organisations are being called upon to act as stewards for people and the planet, and governments are responding with binding targets and increasing regulation.

Customers, investors and employees are making decisions based on how organisations of all shapes and sizes are contributing to a better and healthier world.

This makes ESG a powerful force, a change for good. Motivated by a desire to do the right thing, to strengthen their sustainability and to increase their value – both commercial and social - organisations must strive to improve their ESG resilience.

ESG: view from the boardroom

Earlier this year we conducted a survey with In-House Lawyer magazine to establish boardroom priorities. The survey established that:

• Climate change has become the leading priority for the boardroom; a significant change from the results in 2021 and 2020.
  
  
• 90% of respondents said that their organisations had become more active in relation to climate change over the last year.
  
  
• ESG is in the “High category”, coming fourth in a list of priorities. Shareholder engagement and stakeholder engagement are second and third.
  
  
• Climate change is fully integrated into risk registers and governance structures.
  
  
• Key actions for achieving net zero are currently around investment decisions, using different forms of energy and giving greater consideration to waste management.

DACB’s approach

As a firm, our purpose is to help our clients and our colleagues succeed, creating sustainable value. We strive to be leading business advisers, recognised for our insight and our outstanding commitments to clients, and for being the place where talented people want to work. ESG is integral to our success. 

We are proud of what we have achieved to date, but we know there is more to do. Being a responsible business is fundamental to the way we behave, and we have developed a cohesive and interconnected ESG strategy to help us deliver on our purpose and our commitments.

Our continually evolving approach

Our approach to ESG continues to grow and evolve. With input from a Steering Committee of senior leaders from within the firm and the help of an external consultancy, our strategy is focused on 12 core ESG themes:

Focusing our priorities

These 12 ESG themes are all important, but our Materiality Matrix highlights those themes that were identified as particular priorities by clients and colleagues we engaged with while developing our strategy:  

Climate Change

• We will reduce our carbon emissions, reducing Scope 1 & 2 by 42% by 2030, Scope 3 by 25% by 2030, and achieving Net Zero by 2050.  

Talent & Leadership

• We will identify, nurture and reward our Talent and prepare our colleagues for progression to Leadership.

Wellbeing

• We will support all aspects of our colleagues’ wellbeing through fostering an environment for open dialogue at all levels.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

• We will ensure that colleagues with disabilities enjoy the same sense of belonging, through our Accessibility Champions and organisations with whom we partner.
  
  
• We will work to ensure the ethnicity of colleagues more closely reflects the ethnic mix of the local community of each office by 2025.

EXPLORE OUR ESG STRATEGY

DISCOVER HOW WE CAN SUPPORT YOUR ESG JOURNEY

Snapshot of our activities to date

For us, ESG is about working in synergy with our clients and our colleagues, suppliers, and communities to create environmental and social sustainability and a resilient business.

DISCOVER HOW WE CAN SUPPORT YOUR ESG JOURNEY

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