8.2.1 Environmental Social Governance (ESG) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

ESG and CSR (often used interchangeably) frameworks and strategies are being increasingly adopted by public and private sector organisations across Scotland to structure their commitments to operate in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.

A significant pillar of ESG/CSR frameworks is 'environment' and there are typically commitments made both externally to investors/customers/public and internally to shareholders/employees/stakeholders on topics such as:

Net Zero Carbon

Science Based Targets

Climate Change Mitigation and/or Adaptation

Environmental Management and Compliance

Circular Economy and Materials Use

Built Environment or Buildings Management

Following this guidance can support organisations to make a meaningful contribution to their ESG/CSR frameworks and actively support their corporate level decarbonisation agendas.