Alex Hindson

Environmental, Social and Governance, or “ESG” risks are amongst the most topical and widely discussed within any organization’s risk profile currently. A significant focus has been placed by governments and regulators on climate change risk, but the scope of ESG risks faced by most organizations are much broader and more complex than that. How do these ESG risks differ from any other enterprise risks? They have several interesting facets: The perception of the risk issues may vary significantly for different stakeholdersShareholders and Non-Governmental Organizations (“NGOs”) may perceive new products in quite different waysThe nature of the risks are changing quite…

As the pressure increases on boards to demonstrating they are taking the sustainability challenges facing their organizations seriously, minds are turning to how ESG-matters (Environmental, Social, Governance) should be overseen and governance over ESG itself administered. This is particularly relevant considering the increasing focus of stakeholders on the alignment of ESG strategies with organizations’ purpose and mission. It is true to say that stakeholders are increasingly concerned regarding ‘greenwashing’ claims and are looking for authenticity in this alignment. Like with most aspects of setting an ESG strategy, context is everything. What kind of organization are we dealing with, what sector…

The typical Chief Risk Officer’s inbox is pretty full these days. Gone are the days of simply overseeing the implementation of a risk management framework and helping the board to manage within risk appetite. In order to add value at the executive table, CROs need to be playing attack (how do we harness opportunities?) as well as defence (how do we mitigate threats?). Riding the wave of industry disruptors implies bringing together a number of strands and pressures on the modern enterprise: operational resilience, sustainability, ethics and brand value are all live topics.