NAEM Publishes Latest Snapshot of the Trends Shaping the Future of Corporate Sustainability
November 26, 2018 /3BL Media/ Environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks are now regularly evaluated an integrated into the business plans of leadership companies across industries, according to the latest report by the National Association for Environmental Management (NAEM).
Among those surveyed by the association for its biannual trends research, 81 percent of responding companies said the Board of Directors directly reviews metrics related to the company’s performance in such areas as: greenhouse gas emissions, employee safety and water use.
Moreover, the report found that shareholder resolutions and routine inquiries are driving more companies to include ESG data in their 10K filings (42%) and to publish integrated reports, which present sustainability data within the context of business performance (49%).
“The regulatory actions that may have once driven business to change have been firmly supplanted by an emerging cultural expectation that transparency, environmental stewardship and corporate responsibility are the costs of doing business today,” the report states.
Every two years NAEM conducts a benchmark of the ideas and practices that will shape the future of sustainability management. This insider’s look at how corporate leaders are evolving their programs has accurately predicted a number of noteworthy shifts, including: the introduction of science-based targets for greenhouse gas emissions (65%), corporate support for public policies to address climate change (66%) and the inclusion of economic equality into sustainability agenda.
The 2018 Planning for a Sustainable Future report synthesizes perspectives from dozens of interviews as well as survey results from 79 NAEM members. The association is composed of corporate environment, health and safety, and sustainability managers, directors and vice presidents from across industries.
The sense of urgency captured by the recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was likewise reflected in NAEM’s findings, which affirmed the business community’s commitment to finding solutions to these environmental challenges via: the use of on-site renewable energy (63%), formal zero waste programs (51%), integrating sustainability into new product design (81%) and introducing tangible steps to create a circular economy (47%).
NAEM Executive Director Carol Singer Neuvelt said the report demonstrates the importance of the EHS&S professionals to long-term business success.
“Our members are a linchpin for those organizations who are confronting the business risks associated with environmental degradation,” she said. “The good news is that investors, customers, employees and senior leaders are now clearly aligning themselves toward action.”
Rich Goode, Executive Director of Climate Change and Sustainability Services for EY, which sponsored the research, said the report captured the complex business environment that EHS&S professionals now navigate.
“The EHS&S profession is rapidly changing, and practitioners face an increasingly complex regulatory environment along with new stakeholder demands,” he said. “There is a clear need to show business value that transcends simple compliance.”
To download the full summary of results, visit naem.org or https://bit.ly/2A6Dw8v.
About NAEM
The National Association for Environmental Management (NAEM) empowers corporate leaders to advance environmental stewardship, create safe and healthy workplaces and promote global sustainability. As the leading business community for EHS and sustainability decision-makers, NAEM provides educational conferences, benchmarking forums and research insights for solving today’s corporate EHS and sustainability management challenges. Visit NAEM online at naem.org.
