ESG in action: 2 hands-on examples for your organization

ESG—Environmental, Social and Governance—encompasses the concept of building sustainability into your organization as a core tenet. It’s gained urgency in recent years, and now it’s frequently required by boards of directors and investors—and seen as essential in mitigating risk.

So what does ESG look like in action? The common thread in ESG initiatives is usually risk mitigation and reputation management. For example, one priority at Entergy, the New Orleans-based electrical power company, is to substantially reduce its carbon footprint, ultimately achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

“This is an “all hands” undertaking that will require input and collaboration among nearly every one of Entergy’s business functions,” says John Weiss, vice president of sustainability and environmental policy. “It’s rethinking how we provide our customers with energy that remains reliable and affordable, while also meeting the challenge of eliminating most of our greenhouse gas emissions.” Naturally, eliminating greenhouse gases gets the attention, Weiss says, but there are numerous other instances of how Entergy looks for opportunities to accelerate progress toward that net zero goal.