Press Releases CSR

New service to implement natural and social capital frameworks

Published by ClimateCare

July 15, 2016

Climate and sustainable development expert ClimateCare has joined forces with specialist natural and social capital consultancy Sustain Value to offer businesses a cost-effective way to implement natural and social capital frameworks.

Together the two organisations are able to help businesses identify, measure and evaluate environmental and social impacts, plan the best actions to mitigate and offset these impacts and take real action on the ground.

Many companies have set out net zero and net positive ambitions, but it can be difficult to translate these into measurable targets and creditable action.

Using the latest natural and social capital accounting techniques the team will help companies measure and value their social and environmental impacts, identify the most material impacts and prioritise actions to reduce future business risk and increase business opportunities.

Having evaluated a company’s net impacts, the team will plan and put in place activities to deliver measurable social and environmental outcomes that can be transparently reported and independently verified.

“As businesses look to the future they need to understand the ever growing environmental and social risks and opportunities that face them. With the launch of the natural capital protocol on July 13th, which sets out a standardised framework for businesses to measure and value natural capital impacts and dependencies, companies have never been better placed to do this.”

“The knowledge and insights gleaned can inform responsible business strategies and actions right through from supply chain to customer, and this is where we can help,” explains James Spurgeon, Founder and CEO of Sustain Value.

Whether a business wants to assess risks within a particular supply chain, weigh up alternative options for opening a new factory, or demonstrate that a site or product has a net positive impact, applying natural and social capital impact assessments helps provide a full picture and leads to better, more informed decision making.

In addition, the use of agreed protocols to value environmental and social impacts helps make the business case for action to boards, shareholders, lenders and other stakeholders. While transparent reporting helps build trust and secure a company’s license to operate and grow.

Pooling the decades of expertise within both organisations, means customers benefit from a breadth of advisory and delivery experience. Resulting programmes are therefore not only aligned with the business need and purpose, but are sense checked in the realities of what it takes to deliver a successful programme.

“We specialise in creating and delivering robust programmes that deliver measurable, positive impacts for people and the environment and that do so quickly, cost effectively and reliably,” explains Edward Hanrahan, CEO ClimateCare.

“Joining forces with Sustain Value means we can help businesses at an earlier stage of the sustainability journey. And investing in the best measurement of a business’s current and future impacts makes simple sense. If we have the best information upfront, we can design and deliver the most effective programmes for our clients.”

Businesses interested in finding out how the partnership can help them, measure, plan and implement change should contact the ClimateCare team on +44(0)1865 591000 or email business@climatecare.org

Find out more about the team’s services on the ClimateCare website: http://climatecare.org/corporate-sustainability/

Notes to Editors

ClimateCare

ClimateCare is a certified B Corporation. We believe that climate change, poverty and sustainable development cannot be tackled in isolation. And that we cannot rely solely on aid. Governments and business must work together to deliver the speed and scale of change required to secure a sustainable future.

That’s why, for the past 19 years, we have mobilised the power and scale of both private and public finance for integrated climate+care programmes, which deliver positive environmental and social impacts around the world.

We combine the vision of a social enterprise and the commercial experience of an investment bank. Leveraging mainstream funding, we profitably deliver some of the largest, most successful sustainability initiatives in the world. To date we have worked with hundreds of partners to cut over 20.6 million tonnes of CO2 and at the same time, improved the lives of 16.5 million people.

Find out more at www.climatecare.org

Follow ClimateCare on twitter: @ClimateCare

Sustain Value

Sustain Value is a natural and social capital consultancy firm established in 2011 to help the private sector evaluate and manage associated risks and opportunities. It operates through a network of independent experts covering a full range of environmental, social and business capabilities.

James Spurgeon, founder and lead consultant, has over 20 years experience conducting natural and social capital assessments throughout the world. For the past 10 years he has focused on undertaking assessments and developing associated tools for businesses around the world in a range of sectors.

James is a lead author of the natural capital protocol and has authored several business guides on natural and social capital accounting including for WBCSD, IPIECA and Prince Charles’ A4S project.

Find out more at www.sustainvalue.co.uk

Follow Sustain Value on twitter: @JSpurgeonSV

The Natural Capital Protocol

The protocol project has been introduced to transform the way businesses operate and to promote best practice, while incorporating all natural capital modus operandi under one vision. Its goal is to support better business decision-making. On its launch the protocol will become a standardised framework for businesses to measure and value their impacts and dependencies on natural capital. The aim is not to invent new methods, but rather to fill in the current gaps and build on the procedures that already exist.

Find out more at www.naturalcapitalcoalition.org