Society

ERM helps governments, businesses, industry bodies and other leading organizations to address complex sustainability issues by providing technical insights, an understanding of societal expectations, and framing that with commercial acumen to provide business value. We raise awareness of sustainability trends and topics that educate, influence and sometimes challenge a company or industry.

RGS is the United Kingdom's learned society and professional body for geography, founded in 1830. With over 16,000 members, RGS is a world leader in advancing geography and supporting its practitioners in the United Kingdom and across the world. ERM became a corporate sponsor in February 2017, and have led events such as:

• Teacher training days – providing “real-life” experience and expertise, adding value to teachers and program development in areas where there are less advantaged schools with fewer resources for teachers and pupils.
• Continuing professional development workshop – on GIS and spatial analysis, with further workshops planned.

ERM provides a financial contribution as well as pro bono time through the ERM Foundation and volunteer time from employees.

PRI is the world's leading proponent of responsible investment, with more than 1,700 signatories from over 50 countries, representing over $70 trillion in assets under management. ERM became a signatory last year, demonstrating our commitment to providing, developing and promoting services that support our clients’ implementation of the six Principles regarding environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes. We reported to PRI for the first time in 2018 on our responsible investment activities. During the past year, ERM has been actively contributing to several activities:

• Development of private equity reporting and monitoring guidelines;
• Human rights in private equity due diligence workshop, including a summary document launched during the UN Forum on Business and Human rights in November 2017; and
• Presenting with PRI the findings from above reporting and monitoring project to a private equity workshop in Hong Kong.

As authors of the Technical Supplement on Scenario Analysis for the TCFD, ERM is at the forefront of helping companies address climate-risk. Our approach combines our technical and business expertise together with the client’s internal functions including investor relations; finance; risk; strategy; procurement; environmental, health and safety (EHS); and others.

Campbell Institute

ERM joined the Campbell Institute at the US National Safety Council in 2017, in order to be part of and contribute to one of the leading EHS centers of excellence globally. Since becoming a member, ERM has been actively involved in the Institute, sharing our expertise and experience and helping to further develop industry approaches to driving performance. ERM has partnered with the Institute in several areas over the past year related to EHS management systems and information solutions, including presenting at symposia and benchmarking sessions.

World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)

ERM has been actively involved in WBCSD since we joined as a founding member in 1995. The WBCSD is the leading sustainability focused business organization globally with over 200 members. We have actively worked with WBCSD in many areas, facilitating a number of sessions for FReSH (food systems for the future) and presenting at the TCFD/climate financial risk session at the Annual Liaison Delegate meeting in Montreux.

At the Annual Council meeting in Mexico, ERM experts again facilitated a session on the FReSH program, served on a panel in an education session, and moderated a panel on company responses to the SDGs. ERM’s Chairman John Alexander led a panel of CEOs on the business response to Climate change as well as a joint client side event with a senior Shell representative with the Mexican British Chamber of Commerce.

During the year, ERM served on the working group to develop the Reporting Exchange tool. ERM featured on a panel at the launch of the Reporting Exchange at the London Stock Exchange and was interviewed as part of WBCSD podcast on current corporate reporting trends. We also actively participated in redefining value work groups on assurance and sustainability within enterprise risk management frameworks.

ERM provided technical support to WBCSD for its recently launched guidelines for SDG Sector Roadmaps. We are now with a number of industry groups to develop sector-specific SDG roadmaps.

We also continue to be involved in WBCSD regional networks in India, Malaysia, France and the United States. Through our membership of entreprises pour l’environnement (epe), a member of the WBCSD Global Network based in France, we have joined the act4nature biodiversity initiative.

Doug MacNair, Technical Director in North America, completed a secondment to the Natural Capital Coalition, working as the Technical Manager testing the pilot version of the Natural Capital Protocol Toolkit. The WBCSD developed the Toolkit, with the Natural Capital Coalition as a strategic partner and critical input from a multi-disciplinary Advisory Group. This opportunity demonstrates the value that ERM has already brought to the natural capital approach over a number of years by helping to develop the Protocol, frameworks, and quantitative tools to support natural capital management.

The Natural Capital Coalition is a global multi-stakeholder collaboration that brings together leading initiatives and organizations to harmonize approaches to natural capital. Natural capital refers to the world's natural resources, including geology, soils, air, water and all living organisms.

ERM also plays an important role in the WBCSD’s recently launched Social and Human Capital Coalition and Protocol, which is a companion to the Natural Capital Coalition and Protocol.

As a signatory of the UN Global Compact, ERM commits to do business responsibly by aligning our strategies and operations with Ten Principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption; and take strategic actions to advance broader societal goals, such as the SDGs, with an emphasis on collaboration and innovation. We are a signatory of the Women’s Empowerment Principles as part of our commitment.

ERM participates in an SDG working group in the UN Global Compact UK network, hosts meetings and presents on SDGs throughout the year. ERM is a member of the Modern Slavery Act group within the UK network as well.

This report serves as our Communication on Progress, an annual disclosure to stakeholders on progress made in implementing the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. View our index for more detail on our progress in implementing the Ten Principles.

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)

ERM is a GOLD Community member of GRI, the leading global standard for sustainability reporting. As a GRI Standards Pioneer, ERM is among the first to adopt the new GRI Standards. In the United States, we are a GRI-certified training partner, and offer public and private courses designed for individuals and organizations interested in gaining a deeper understanding of GRI, sustainability strategies and reporting.

We recently co-presented with the UN Global Compact on the topic of "From Mapping to Action: SDGs as a Framework for Delivering Transformative Change" at the GRI Reporters' Summit in Phoenix, Arizona, United States.

ERM CVS undertook assurance on selected sustainability information in GRI’s 2016-2017 Annual Report.