Description

As climate change concerns grow, environmental, social and governance (ESG) compliance is increasing in importance for businesses. Episode 26 of the Faithful on the Clock podcast shares how ESG connects to Adam’s original job and outlines how to get started on a stronger ESG path.

Timestamps:

[00:04] - Intro

[00:40] - Main purpose of the episode

[00:58] - Genesis demonstrates that God called Adam and Eve to rule over Earth and care for it.

[02:10] - As descendants of Adam and Eve, we have inherited the obligation to take care of the world.

[02:47] - Many people, including Christians, deny that there is a need for sustainability or that climate change is a problem.

[03:44] - People’s minds change from experiences they have, not just from having more and more data.

[04:32] - Positive reinforcement is the best way to change people’s minds about sustainability.

[05:02] - To start having an impact with ESG, connect ESG to your core values.

[05:56] - The second ESG step is auditing your ESG procedures. Figure out the steps to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be, involving everyone in the process and integrating methods for higher accountability.

[07:13] - Rather than wait to follow what the regulators tell you to do on ESG, take a risk, innovate, and develop the standards that the regulators will base their recommendations on.

[08:23] - The biggest problem you likely will have with ESG is not logistics. It’s people having a static mindset. You must convince them that the investment is worth it because without a planet, there’s no environment to do business in. Playing the long game in this way shouldn’t be an issue if you truly are operating in ways that support being a legacy brand.

Key takeaways:

• One of the first things God did with Adam and Eve was to make them stewards of the Garden of Eden and the larger world. We were meant to be keepers of everything He made.
• Many people still deny that sustainability efforts are necessary and deny climate change. Positive reinforcement through good experience–that is, showing that ESG actually makes their lives better–is the best way to convince people that there is in fact a problem and that ESG efforts matter.
• Good ESG impact starts with matching your core values to ESG points and being clear about how those elements manifest in your operations. 
• Formal audits will show you where your ESG gaps are, as well as what steps to take to fix them. But steps should be relatively frictionless and clearly communicated.
• Closed-mindedness is going to be your biggest hurdle to ESG change, even when people acknowledge climate change as a problem. You have to show people that this is the long game and a multi-generational effort.

Relevant Links:

How many species are we losing?

Climate Change: Global Temperature

Violation Tracker Agency Summary Page

Why ESG is Here to Stay

CTAs:

• Review the values central to your business and see if and where you are connecting them to ESG efforts.
• Audit your policies and procedures to establish clear steps...