A Whole New World: ESG as a Business Opportunity, with EY’s Marie Johnson and Brandon Sutcliffe

Dec 3, 2024

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Over the last decade, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investments have exploded; as evidenced by global market projections, which predict 40 trillion dollars in ESG assets by 2030.

That will not only reshape our financial markets, but also our consumer choices, our recruitment prospects, the range of our suppliers, and even our leadership strategies. So how do we seize that opportunity for change? What new possibilities does ESG open up?

We answer these questions with two of the leading voices from EY Sustainability: Marie Johnson and Brandon Sutcliffe. Every day, these two experts in Business and Financial Sustainability help companies integrate ESG goals into their core strategies and operations. From stakeholders to customers, they show leaders how to reach the next stage of their development.

Today, they bring their wisdom to In Good Companies and help us see how Environmental, Social, and Governance goals can add value to our businesses. They undo misconceptions around sustainability, share strategies to implement effective reporting, and lift the veil on what will drive the transition towards ESG practices. Spoiler alert: it involves your stakeholders, your clients, your governance, and a component of education. To round up their conversation with Ari, Brandon and Marie will also discuss the development of ESG regulations and help us prepare for the future by asking: what’s next?

No matter where you’re coming from, sustainability is part and parcel of everyone’s business, so get ready to answer the bell.

Highlights:

Introducing EY Sustainability, with Marie and Brandon (1:47)
What does ESG look like for day-to-day business? (3:41)
A home-based approach for small businesses (7:07)
Middle market considerations: balancing sustainability and growth (8:37)
How large corporations focus on capital deployment (10:05)
Who or what can drive the transition towards ESG? (12:16)
ESG as a strategy for long-term value (14:20)
Do’s and dont’s of ESG reporting (16:06)
Breaking out of the “sustainability silo” (18:34)
How to turn ESG practices into business as usual (19:57)
Reframing perceptions around sustainability: a “bottomline” argument (21:56)
A tour around the world of ESG legislation (24:06)
Why public-private partnerships could change everything (25:42)
10 years ahead, what’s next for ESG? (27:55)
Embracing sustainability as a business opportunity (29:01)

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If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, Eydie.Pengelly@cadencebank.com or Danielle.Kernell@cadencebank.com.