FAQ’S
What is sustainability?
Sustainability is a broad term that covers the responsibilities an organisation has towards people, the planet and society. It includes the impact the organisation has on the world and how our changing world impacts the organisation. For instance, how risk from more likely extreme weather resulting from climate change might influence the location of a factory. While it is synonymous with the environment, sustainability is not just about this. It also covers, to name a few things, human rights, labour rights, anti-corruption, data security, health & safety, diversity and inclusion. The term is also mistakenly thought of as being more environmentally conscious when actually it requires an organisation to have new capabilities, undergo change management and governance to deliver on current and expected regulatory disclosure requirements.
What does ESG stand for and what does it mean?
ESG stands for Environment, Social and Governance. These taken together form a framework used to evaluate an organisation’s non-financial risk, and the term originated from the investment community. The E covers all aspects of the environment, the S relates to employees, communities and human capital, and the G has specific aspects, like anti-corruption and data security, but is best thought of as the mechanisms the company has in place to ensure delivery on its E and S goals. If a company is addressing ESG risk, it is avoiding harm, but is not actively seeking positive outcomes or positive change. Nevertheless, the term ESG is rarely used in its original context and over time has become more synonymous with the term sustainability, although purists would say sustainability encompasses ESG but goes further in expecting an organisation to seek positive outcomes, not just mitigate risks.
Why should I hire a sustainability consultant?
Over the last decade expectations have increased exponentially that organisations should consider ESG risk and take action concerning their responsibilities to people and the planet. This has spawned a new sustainability industry with an extraordinary amount of complexity given its relatively short-lived existence. This complexity is evident in the language used by the sector (known as the “alphabet soup” of acronyms), lengthy regulatory materials and sizable disclosure requirements, new data requests and calculations (including GHG emissions). It has gone well beyond recycling in the office kitchen, and there is a need for sustainability consultants to help those new to this get up to speed or for those who have tripped a disclosure requirement (or received a supply chain partner’s RfP request) to better understand what is required. Sustainability consultants range from specialists who will help calculate your carbon footprint to companies like Rhizome Strategy who share their knowledge to embed sustainability more broadly into corporate strategy and operational planning.
Why should I hire a Rhizome Strategy consultant?
We understand business challenges because, before being sustainability consultants, we were strategy consultants. Plus, we have real-life knowledge from having been practising sustainability executives delivering in-house for organisations. We find these qualities differentiate us from environmental consultants (who lack business experience), strategy consultants (who lack sustainability experience) and the Big Four (seldom cost-effective). We focus on providing actionable advice.
How do I choose from your services?
We are flexible to your needs. In our experience you will only require our services for a relatively short period as our goal is to set up strategies, plans and processes that can be handed over to a lower-cost internal team. We can also supplement your existing resource if that is what is needed, or coach junior sustainability executives to be effective at influencing at a senior level.
How will working with Rhizome Strategy benefit my business?
We are acutely focused on practical solutions. Embedding sustainability is a complex challenge that can add costs to a business. We seek to make a business’s sustainability function efficient and to identify revenue benefits from competitive advantage through sustainability and cost savings from energy efficiency and risk management.
Why are you called Rhizome Strategy?
Our ambition is to spread ESG and sustainability knowledge like rhizome roots. The rhizome root system extends beyond the host plant, generating new standalone plants which survive even if the host or any of its siblings are removed. Every beginning and every contribution is valued as they will grow into new systems, extending and furthering the movement to change our planet for the better.