#122 The Finance Team’s Role in ESG and Sustainability with Victoria Topham, Commercial Director at Profit Impact

Victoria Topham is the commercial director at Profit Impact. Profit Impact helps accountants get to grips with ESG and sustainability. She comes from a finance background, and we discuss the role of finance teams in ESG and sustainability. The finance team plays a critical role in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and sustainability reporting. This reporting is intended to provide stakeholders with an understanding of the company’s current performance in areas such as climate change, social equity, and corporate governance. The finance team should ensure that ESG and sustainability reporting includes accurate data for all relevant metrics used to measure organizational performance. They should also be responsible for managing the process of collecting data from various sources, ensuring its accuracy and timeliness. Furthermore, they should help interpret the results of the reports to identify any trends or unmet goals that can be addressed with proposed solutions or adjustments. Finally, they should lead the effort in developing strategies designed to improve the organization’s ESG profile over time. Some finance teams are playing a critical role in developing reporting for B Corps. A B Corporation (or B Corp) is a for-profit company that has been certified by a third-party organization with regard to its social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. B Corps are committed to meeting higher standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability -- as outlined in the B Corporation Declaration of Interdependence. These companies strive to create a positive impact on society, workers, the community and the environment in addition to pursuing profitability goals. This certification process requires businesses to meet and provide evidence of both their social and environmental performance. By becoming certified as a B Corporation, companies demonstrate their commitment to making decisions that serve the greater good, rather than just maximize profits for shareholders Links Victoria Topham on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Finance Predictions 2023 GrowCFO Finance Team Training Timestamps 0:11 Introducing Victoria Topham 2:20 Sustainability and finance in the real estate industry. 7:04 Is the pressure coming down the supply chain around sustainability? 9:18 What does Profit Impact do? 13:37 Why should the finance person be taking a lead in sustainability? 17:46 What’s a B Corporation? 20:39 Female founders vs male founders in B Corporations. 24:38 What’s the impact of ESG on the environment? 29:40 Is the need for consistency and discipline around reporting going to be a major factor in the future?