
ESG
ESG Journey
Impact Business Law wants to be a part of your ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) journey. We will work with you to develop your ESG roadmap and implement it. This is part coaching (you are the expert), part legal consulting (we advise), and part legal services (we draft policies and other documents in specific areas).
ESG + ROADMAP
It’s a journey, not a destination.
Be visionary but make it attainable.
Keep learning.
Step 1: Pick Your Team
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The right captain. Do you need a coach?
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Handpick players who are passionate, can perform, willing to learn, diverse
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Cover key positions – operations lead, specific HR/marketing personnel


Step 2: Game Plan
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ESG+ materiality assessment – material to whom, time horizon
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Environmental scanning
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Decision making framework – what’s in, what’s out
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Stakeholder engagement?
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Continuous learning – for the team and the broader firm

Step 3: Game Time
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Key objectives → KPIs → targets
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Key activities re targets, supporting activities – bring in the experts (and they might be
internal) -
Policies, procedures, processes
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Determine accountabilities and necessary resources
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Internal firm education and communications


Step 4: Stats
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What you will measure and how
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Who you will internally report to and when
Step 5: Next Season & Beyond
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Focused external messaging
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Strategic alignment – brand, strategic direction
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Annual materiality assessment and target setting → new game plans as needed
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Continuous learning

There are lots of consultants in the ESG space and many different approaches. Why is a legal lens so important in the ESG journey?
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ESG efforts may start with purpose and mission, but the success of your organization’s ESG
initiatives comes down to policies and procedures that are implemented. A legal mindset will
help you to create a framework for what must take place in your company and legal writing will
help you create policies and procedures that are clear and easy to follow. -
Following through on ESG policies and procedures often comes down to governance. A legal
approach helps delineate the roles of boards of directors, executive, and front-line supervisors. -
If you are serious about your ESG initiatives, the rules need to be enforced. Legal processes are
needed to set up complaint and investigative processes in areas such as respective workplace
and supply chain management.
ESG RESOURCES
ESG Frameworks
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Global Reporting Initiative GRI
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Sustainability Accounting Standards Board SASB
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UN Sustainable Development Goals SDGs
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Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure TCFD
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World Economic Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics newest
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B Corp Certification - https://bcorpdirectory.ca/about-certified-b-corps/
Industry Associations
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Global Compact Network Canada - https://unglobalcompact.ca/
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Canadian Business for Social Responsibility - https://cbsr.ca/
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Mining Association of Canada - https://mining.ca/our-focus/
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Retail Council of Canada - https://www.retailcouncil.org/province/national/responsible-sourcing
Business & Human Rights Resources
Benchmarks
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Know the Chain - https://knowthechain.org/
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Corporate Human Rights Benchmark - https://www.worldbenchmarkingalliance.org/corporate-human-rights-benchmark/
Global BHR Frameworks
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Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises - https://www.oecd.org/corporate/mne/
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United Nation’s Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights - https://www.ungpreporting.org/resources/the-ungps/
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United Nation Global Compact Ten Principles - https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/mission/principles
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International Labour Organization Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work - https://www.ilo.org/declaration/lang--en/index.html