ESG in Action: Reflecting on 2024 and Setting the Stage for 2025 OR ESG in Action: 2024 in the Rearview and 2025 on the Horizon
What a year 2024 has been for us! Our first full year of operations was filled with remarkable achievements, driven by our commitment to advancing sustainability across Africa. This year, we expanded our consortium’s strategic partnerships, delivered impactful corporate trainings, and strengthened our internal commitment to good governance practices.
These milestones reflect our dedication to shaping Africa’s sustainability narrative and empowering organisations to integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles as key drivers of performance, growth and resilience.
As we wrap up this year, we view our significant milestones as more than achievements. We are taking the opportunity to consolidate our learnings and inspire actionable steps for our future. By examining what worked, identifying areas for improvement, and extracting insights from our experiences, we can refine our efforts to better support organisations in achieving their sustainability ambition and positioning themselves for success in 2025 and beyond. In 2024,
We Forged Strategic Partnerships for Data-Driven Sustainability
This year, ESGiAA welcomed two innovative global partners: Rimm Sustainability and Next Now Green, each bringing state-of-the-art solutions to ESG strategy and execution:
Rimm Sustainability: An award-winning provider of AI-powered sustainability solutions, offers a customisable platform to make ESG management accessible and actionable. Their flagship tool, myCSO, streamlines ESG tracking, reporting, and compliance, empowering businesses across APAC and EMEA to achieve sustainable growth, meet global standards, and access green finance opportunities.
Next Now Green: A leader in carbon management and sustainability solutions, provides comprehensive services for managing carbon assets, developing tailored sustainability roadmaps, and guiding businesses on their NetZero journeys with advanced carbon accounting platforms. They also offer globally benchmarked sustainability certifications, covering critical areas such as forest management, eco-tourism, and carbon neutrality initiatives, ensuring businesses align with international standards.
Why Do These Partnerships Matter?
These partnerships underscore a fundamental truth and one of our core messages: data is the backbone of effective ESG strategy and execution. Without robust systems for gathering, measuring, and reporting data, businesses risk falling short of their sustainability ambitions. Accurate data enables transparency, enables decisions that drive business performance, and ensures alignment with global sustainability benchmarks.
As we move into 2025, ESGiAA urges organisations to prioritise a solid data foundation. By leveraging cutting-edge tools and expert guidance from us and our partners, organisations can achieve measurable results, meet stakeholder expectations, and contribute meaningfully to a more sustainable future.
We Empowered Corporates Through Training and Capacity Building
In 2024, ESGiAA focused heavily on capacity building, delivering targeted ESG trainings that addressed diverse industry needs. Notable among these were:
- Stanbic IBTC’s ESG Brand Integration Training: This programme enhanced the synergy between marketing, communication and sustainability teams, equipping them to design products, causes and campaigns aligned with Stanbic’s sustainability goals. The training also provided actionable insights to avoid greenwashing and strengthen stakeholder trust.
- Tetracore Energy Group’s ESG Awareness Training: Tailored to their business strategy, this training focused on building internal capacity for integrating ESG principles into strategic planning and operations, empowering Tetracore to lead with sustainability at its core.
- Oil and Gas (O&G) Board Training: These sessions focused on equipping board members with actionable insights into ESG principles, enabling them to attract capital, strengthen compliance, address risks, and integrate sustainability into their operations. The training highlighted the need for practical frameworks to improve accountability and transparency in the sector.
Why Does This Matter?
Capacity building of organisations is critical in transforming ESG from a compliance exercise into a way of doing business and a competitive advantage. By equipping teams with the knowledge and tools required to embed ESG into business strategy, organisations can unlock innovation, enhance operational efficiency, and engender stakeholder loyalty.
Additionally, organisations must prioritise training at all levels—from boardrooms to operational teams. A holistic approach ensures that ESG principles are not only integrated into strategic decision-making but also effectively understood to be implemented across the organisation. To achieve this, identify your industry’s unique ESG needs and invest in tailored training programmes that equip your teams with the necessary tools and knowledge to navigate the evolving sustainability landscape.
We Joined the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria (SCGN)
Another significant milestone this year was ESGiAA’s induction as a corporate member of the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria (SCGN). This achievement highlights our commitment to the critical role governance plays in advancing sustainability.
Through SCGN, we will engage with leaders across sectors, advocating for governance structures that underpin sustainable business practices.
Why Does This Matter?
Governance is the backbone of successful ESG integration and a sustainable organisation. From strategy formulation to execution, strong governance ensures accountability, transparency, and alignment with an organisation’s long-term objectives. It also builds trust with stakeholders and safeguards the organisation’s reputation. As organisations prepare for 2025, governance should remain a priority. Whether through targeted board training or strategy workshops, aligning governance with ESG objectives is essential for driving sustainable growth.
Looking Ahead to What’s to Come in 2025
Our achievements this year highlight the growing momentum around ESG in Africa, but the journey is far from over. As we move into 2025, the focus must shift from awareness to action, ensuring sustainability is not just a goal but a core part of doing business—we encourage businesses to prioritise it.
At ESG in Action, we are committed to walking this journey with you—empowering your organisation to navigate the complexities of ESG and unlocking your potential to create lasting value for all your stakeholders. From your teams to leadership, investors, supply chain, partners, host communities and the planet!
Let’s go together in 2025!
