Making use of CSRD and ESG should serve as a means to create an impact, rather than being the ultimate goal in itself.
Criticism of ESG is increasing. There is dissatisfaction in the business community about the increased regulatory burden, while various specialists question the effectiveness and reliability of ESG as a benchmark for (the improvement of) social performance. We largely agree with that criticism, and furthermore expect that the introduction of CSRD will suffer a similar fate. […]
Responsible Business soon mandatory: these laws are coming
Under the influence of increasing societal pressure, both the European and the Dutch legislature are intensively developing new, stricter legislation in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). In this article, we provide an overview of the most recent developments in CSR legislation: the European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), the Dutch CSR law […]
CSRD step-by-step plan
The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is increasingly on the agenda and attracts the attention of countless organisations. How can companies meet the strict requirements while increasing their impact? How do initiatives linked to a circular economy contribute to the overall picture? Epact acts as an expert guide guiding companies on their sustainability journey. We […]
Customer reference UW: “Empact understands what we need”
Working works. Based on that motto, UW from Utrecht helps people with a distance to the labor market to find suitable work. In the past year, UW offered approximately one thousand people a suitable workplace. To this end, it works closely with a large number of companies, institutions, the municipality of Utrecht and other government […]
CSRD: a way to structurally improve ESG performance
Being transparent about concrete performance and strategic ESG policy will from now on become a strict requirement. In this article we briefly explain what the new legislation entails and we consider the intended effects of the regulations and the relationship with other sustainability legislation, such as the CSDDD.
Customer reference Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO): “We are very enthusiastic about Empact.”
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) encourages entrepreneurs and organisations to practice Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). For example, companies and organisations that do business abroad and want to make use of the International Programs of the RVO must endorse the OECD guidelines. However, RVO currently has insufficient insight into how companies actually work and how effective […]
Master Thesis research opening at Empact Impact consultants, on the field of sustainability and change management
When you are almost finished with your MSc. Economy, Business or a related study and you want to develop yourself in the field of Sustainability, ESG and CSR, this could be interesting for you. Empact is looking for a graduate student with a heart and mind for society at large. We see that the why- […]
Working with the wrong suppliers will soon (really) no longer be allowed
It should have never been possible and soon it will no longer be allowed: working with the “wrong” suppliers. On November 1, 2022, five Dutch political parties submitted an initiative law in the field of International Corporate Social Responsibility (in Dutch IMVO). The cabinet itself is also working on a CSR law, which obliges companies […]
CSRD as an opportunity to make an impact
About 50,000 medium-sized and large companies in the EU will be required to report according to the new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) on environmental, social and governance (ESG) related topics in 2026 on the year 2025. A recent study by Empact shows that the majority of companies still have a compliance-driven attitude towards ESG. […]
Mid-sized and large companies struggle to execute ESG beyond compliance
ESG is becoming more and more compliance-driven. ESG consultancy Empact draws this conclusion based on research among nearly 100 mid-sized and large companies from Germany and the Netherlands. The research also shows an increasingly strong integration of ESG within the companies’ strategies, but that implementation is lagging behind. ESG is not yet a way to […]
ESG in 2022; picking up which pace?
More than ever, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues are high on the corporate agenda. At the same time, 2022 is a year of financial turmoil for many companies. The aftermath of the corona crisis and the war in Ukraine are driving up prices, especially for raw materials, energy, and semi-manufactured goods, so staying in […]
CO2 footprint: How do you measure scope 3 emissions?
Many companies have difficulties mapping out their scope 3 emissions and reporting them transparently. Even large companies and organisations are struggling with this, as a thorough analysis of the NewClimate Institute commissioned by Milieudefensie recently showed. Companies active in the oil sector seem to forget that the fuel they help to find and transport will […]
Press release: ESG consultancy Empact opens office in Germany
Haarlem – Köln, 5 July 2022. ESG consultancy Empact expands to the German market. From a new location in Cologne, German customers are provided with advice in the fields of sustainability, ESG, CSR and RBC. This enables Empact also to advise its German customers locally. Martin de Jong, founder of Empact: “It is a logical […]
How do you measure an organisation’s CO2 emissions?
Does your organisation want to reduce its CO2 footprint? Or perhaps even become CO2 neutral? Then you first need to know where you stand. In other words: measuring the CO2 emissions of your organization. Many organisations struggle with this. Because where do we start? And how do you actually measure the total amount of CO2 […]
Green washing? Communicate about sustainability vs reputational damage
At Empact, we can be annoyed by people who repeatedly say that a sustainability claim is incorrect. Certainly, greenwashing is an issue that needs to be addressed. But if too many companies hide their green ambitions precisely because they fear being accused of greenwashing, opportunities for change are lost. After all, the sustainability transition is […]
ESG supply chain due diligence becomes paramount for businesses
On 24 February, the European Commission adopted and published the long-awaited proposal on supply chain due diligence with a focus on potential and actual adverse impact on human rights and environmental aspects. If your business meets one of the criteria below, the following article on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) is of interest […]
Press release: Empact will help to create insights of the effects of the CSR policy of Dutch Government
The Hague, 2 March 2022. The Dutch Governmental Organisation, Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) is taking an important step forward in promoting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). A system is being developed that will make the effects of its policy in this area more transparent. The RVO receives help from consultancy firm Empact, which proved to best […]
The biggest ESG-failures in recent history!
Three examples of what can happen when companies underestimate ESG risks Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria play an increasingly important role in the strategy of companies. In many cases, this is a response to the increased demand for ESG investments and the explosively growing market for sustainable products and services. So it’s a matter […]
Will the new Dutch Government make sustainable business easier?
The arrival of the new cabinet, comprising two physicists and a minister for Climate and Energy, offers prospects for a Netherlands in which we live together with more attention to nature. This does not only apply to the HR policy behind the new government team. The policy plans, which can be read in the coalition […]
The impact of COP26 on business
The Glasgow Climate Conference (COP26) was not the breakthrough many scientists and activists had hoped for. The agreements made are insufficient to combat dangerous climate change. On the other hand, important steps have been taken in the right direction. It has been agreed, among other things, that the worldwide consumption of coal must be reduced […]
CSRD makes strategic ESG unavoidable
By Teresa Brose, ESG-consultant. This article is also published in Dutch on duurzaam-ondernemen.nl A sound ESG strategy is necessary for companies that must report in accordance with the new EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This is the case your company meets two of the following three criteria: your organization employs more than 250 people, […]
3 consequences of the European Green Deal that will affect all organisations
The European Green Deal is an extensive policy program of the European Commission with the aim of making Europe a sustainable continent. In concrete terms, the Green Deal must ensure that Europe has reduced CO2 emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990, and that it will then be completely climate neutral by 2050. […]
ESG – Why ethical business is also financially interesting
More and more investors are choosing to invest their money in companies that operate ethically. They mainly look at ESG ratings. In other words, how a company performs in terms of Environmental (environment and climate), Social (society) and Governance (governance) factors. ESG assets are expected to comprise approximately one third of all global assets by […]
Socially responsible procurement? Six tips for success…
A large part of the impact of organizations on people, the environment and society takes place in the supply chain. So if you as an organization want to improve your impact, you cannot ignore socially responsible procurement (SRP). This means that when purchasing products, raw materials and services, you also pay attention to the social […]
Four CSR trends in 2021 (and in the future)
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has long ceased to be a trend. It’s serious business. As an organization, you really can’t get away with it these days if you don’t take into account your impact on the environment, the people you work with, and society as a whole. But how do you do that in concrete […]
CSR in the supply chain is no longer without obligation
The OECD guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) already stated it, but now the European Parliament is also convinced. If an organization has a trade relationship with another organization in a RBC-risk country, it is mandatory to take measures. Globalization has brought many large and important developments. But we now know that quite a few […]
ESG investing needs impact measurement
Impact investment is rapidly growing. Why? What are the developments? And how does this business pushes towards the transition to a sustainable and inclusive society? In 6 articles we will highlight the developments, opportunities and risks of Purpose & Impact investment. This is the sixth article. By Martin de Jong and Anne Rademaker. This article […]
The puzzle to transform from ‘CSR’ towards ‘impact powered’ by impact investors.
Impact investment is rapidly growing. Why? What are the developments? And how does this business pushes towards the transition to a sustainable and inclusive society? In 6 articles we will highlight the developments, opportunities and risks of Purpose & Impact investment. This is the fifth article. As the ambition to move from a compliance CSR […]
Impact Investing: How corporate Green and Social bonds lead to a high ESG performance
By Martin de Jong and Anne Rademaker In 2006 Mohammed Yunus received the Nobel Prize for making microcredits big. It was not the Nobel prize for the economy, but the Nobel Prize for the most prestigious category: Peace. It made clear that the Nobel Committee saw that Impact Investments matter. To lend money to private […]
Impact investing: Moving from a company (ESG) agenda to a global (SDG) agenda
Impact investment is rapidly growing. Why? What are the developments? And how does this business pushes towards the transition to a sustainable and inclusive society? In 6 articles we will highlight the developments, opportunities and risks of Purpose & Impact investment. This is the third article, previous published on: Duurzaam Beleggen By Martin de Jong […]