ISOS Group
Supporting Diverse ESG Journeys

Newsletter

ISOS Group Quarterly Newsletter (Fall 2023)

 
 

Environ teams connecting (clockwise from top left): San Diego, New York, Seattle, Denver

 

State of Sustainability

ISOS Group’s humble beginnings go back to 2008 when only a small handful of companies were producing what’s now referred to as ESG, or environmental, social and governance, disclosure. A mere 20% of S&P 500 companies produced sustainability reports in 2011, according to the Governance & Accountability Institute (G&A’s 2015 Inaugural Benchmark Study), and we committed to increasing that through a grassroots approach to learning. As of 2022, 96% of the S&P 500 produce ESG/sustainability reports (G&A’s 2022 S&P 500 & Russell 100 Sustainability Reporting in Focus Study). We’re proud to have been on this journey through the years, leading the way and directly supporting this evolution.

Now it seems that change has gone into hyper-mode. Climate has become a mainstream topic. We’re starting to realize the devastating effects of extreme temperatures and our limitations in confronting climate changes. Reporting standards are consolidating, and stricter regulations are looming. With that, we’ve reaffirmed our commitment to prepare companies for compliance. Climate Week, the largest global climate event of its kind, tends to set the tone for what’s to come. We’ll be keeping a careful eye on what comes out of that event this month as it will dictate how we sharpen our focus for the next year.

Though there’s cause for concern, we remain hopeful. Our recent decision to team up with Environ was driven by our desire to scale and accelerate the work that is needed to develop and implement decarbonization strategies on the ground. We’re confident that our expanded services will enable us to lay strategic foundations, implement change and track progress towards a more sustainable future. Be sure to stay up to date on our efforts and connect with us on LinkedIn.

Nancy Mancilla
President

 

Photo credit: Pixabay 

 

Back to school! Prep tips for the sustainability reporting season

The arrival of fall means cooler temps (hopefully!), beautiful autumn colors and, like it or not, the beginning of sustainability reporting season. To help you prepare and survive the coming months with ease, channel your inner squirrel and take stock of your ACORNS:

  • Assess what matters most to ensure that your sustainability initiatives and reporting align with both your business and stakeholders’ priorities. An annual refresh will help determine what topics represent your organization’s most significant environmental and social impacts, including impacts on human rights.

  • Conduct a gap analysis of the data being collected. Does it adequately cover the various reporting disclosures required by global and industry-specific regulations and ESG standards and frameworks, as well as meet the needs of your key stakeholders?

  • Organize content and visuals that highlight your top sustainability achievements from the past year. Start gathering all the materials needed to bring these stories to life in your report and be creative. What photos and graphics best represent what you are trying to say? Is there a good quote that showcases how impactful the program/initiative is?

  • Review who’s who and introduce yourself to all new subject matter experts and reconnect with previous collaborators. Share why ESG reporting is important, explain what their specific role will be and discuss key project elements. This will ensure that everyone hits the ground running once the project kicks off.

  • Navigate internal channels to identify what other departments need to be involved at various stages of the project. Groups such as marketing/communications, legal and investor relations often play a critical role in the reporting process — from reviewing content to final approval.

  • Schedule time to reconnect with all external vendors involved with your project, from copywriters to sustainability consultants to designers. Sometimes the contracting process can take longer than expected, or their availability doesn’t align with your reporting needs. It’s best to have all statements of work executed well before your kick-off date.

How do you prep for the season? We’d love to hear your tips! Also, please reach out if you need any support developing your report.

Project Highlights

Congratulations to our clients on their sustainability achievements! Here is a sampling of our recent projects as of summer 2023:

Advisory Services

  • James Hardie — In its recently released 2023 Sustainability Report, James Hardie shares how it is advancing its ESG commitments with even greater ambitions across the company, including a 42% absolute reduction in Scope 1+2 emissions by 2030 aligned to climate science.

  • The Swig Company — The Swig Company’s new one-page ESG publication is helping leasing agents market the company’s properties to prospective tenants. The flier summarizes The Swig Company’s sustainability accomplishments and goals as well as how it creates healthy building environments. The document is an addition to ISOS Group’s services for Swig.

  • University of Texas at Arlington — The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) published its third GRI report with the Universal Standards. The report includes a GRI Content Index which maps to UTA’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) report. We are thrilled to be co-presenting online with UTA on this collaboration for The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) annual conference in October.

Assurance and Verification
ISOS Group is proud to have supported its largest number of clients through this assurance season. Our team worked closely with organizations to assure their sustainability data and reviewed portfolios, processes and systems representing over 19 million MWh of energy consumption and 15 million MTCO2e Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. For more information, check out our blog!

Training Courses
Our training courses serve students and professionals who are interested in learning about sustainability reporting frameworks and standards. Let us know how we can help your organization through private in-house training. If you have other topics that you would like to see through ISOS Group’s training offerings, contact us today!

Upcoming Training

Supply Chain Training
The world is facing many economic, environmental and social challenges. Companies are at the forefront of both the problems and solutions. Investors, governments and customers are all pushing for companies to reduce their environmental impact, particularly their greenhouse gas emissions. The more your company understands the various reporting frameworks/standards — along with the basics of GHG accounting — the easier it will be to comply with data demands and plan for your own reporting journey. Let us help you be ready.  (Excerpt adapted from “Solving Environmental Challenges” blog.)

GRI Study Group
We offer quarterly virtual study groups for those looking to sit for the GRI Professional Certification Exam. This casual 1 1/2-hour study group will be led by a certified trainer; however, participants are encouraged to actively participate and bring their own questions or desired areas of focus to the group. Our next study group will take place from 8-9:30 a.m. PDT on Oct. 18. Registration is free; however, participants must have completed at least one GRI course to participate. Learn more and register on our website.

ISOS Team Updates

Welcome Constanze Duke, Senior Sustainability Consultant
Constanze has built sustainability programs from the ground up for over 16 years. Her industry experience spans healthcare, aerospace, CPG, distribution, technology and climate tech. She has expansive, hands-on experience in developing and executing comprehensive sustainability strategies and has deep knowledge of emissions accounting, reporting, science-based targets, environmental and safety management systems, resource management, decarbonization initiatives, risk assessment and more. Constanze has a bachelor’s degree in sustainability and a master's degree in sustainability and environmental management and has taught a sustainability course at the University of California, Irvine. 

Constanze grew up in Germany and now lives in Oregon where she spends most of her free time taking care of rescued animals and rewilding a small piece of land. Find her on LinkedIn.

Team Appreciation for Hannah Fry, Operations Associate
Hannah started with ISOS Group in 2019 as an intern and a research and administrative assistant. She recently supported client engagements and operations initiatives, contributing to benchmarking projects, research analysis and companywide projects. We wish Hannah hearty congratulations as she embarks on her next chapter as an intern with the National Institutes of Health in her long-term pursuit of a career in the medical field.

 
Weekly UpdateBrian Noveck