ARE CORPORATIONS STARTING TO SEE THE VALUE OF ESG / SUSTAINABLE FINANCE?
With ESG mandated regulation increasingly starting to come into force, there is growing pressure on corporations to transition to green business models and to disclose ESG metrics in line with TCFD/ SFDR guidelines (to name a few). This is in turn driving a sharp demand for ESG / Sustainability finance professional across the UK. As many of the UK’s “large corporations” are now linking senior-pay to ESG results, this has accelerated the need for additional ESG head count.
With ESG continuing to play a critical role in how wider societal pressures are impacting business, and how the built environment is managed, the demand for ESG & sustainable finance talent is only expected to rise. It is not only the well documented trend of investor demand for ESG disclosures that is driving the significant is increase in hiring across ESG and Sustainability; consumers are also now willing to pay more for sustainable products, with purchasing decisions increasingly being influenced by social issues, making the decision to focus on ESG / Sustainability an easier one for businesses to make.
More and more we are seeing corporations looking to add ESG / Sustainable finance experience to their existing teams across the business, to deal with the additional demands TCFD / SFDR and other ESG lead reporting requires. The value of ESG activity is finally being recognised as a vital tool to understanding corporate / commercial strategy and responsibility, as well as a way of understanding the broader governance of organisations. This is being highlighted by investors as they utilise ESG as a key assessment tool, aiding in changing wider corporate opinion of ESG (no longer being seen as a niche area or a strategy based solely on preferences or beliefs) and bringing it further into the mainstream conversation.
“What is now very clear is that the positioning of Sustainability and ESG has changed significantly - and not before time!” stated Lester Lockyer, Managing Director of Sustainability & ESG Executive Search & Recruitment specialists, Allen & York in his recent white paper Download your copy here: www.allen-york.com/sustainability-and-esg-white-paper-2023
ESG can be considered as a subdivision of wider sustainability, yet focuses explicitly on environmental, social, and governance and how they impact a company's long-term prospects. Although increasingly ESG and Sustainability are used in the same breath, their meaning can have a vast difference when it comes to the hiring strategy needed to find the right ESG or Sustainability professional with the skill set you require.
Allen & York’s market knowledge and understanding - combined with our network built over 30 years in Environmental & Sustainability hiring - sets us apart from others in the Green Executive Search and Recruitment space. If you’re looking to hire in ESG or Sustainability, and need some help and advice, don’t hesitate to email Spencer at: scooney@allen-york.com or visit: www.allen-york.com