ESG: Is it time for Chief People Officers to take the lead?

In the past, Environmental, Social and Governmental (ESG) responsibilities were barely a footnote in annual reporting by organisations. However, ESG is now at the forefront of corporate strategy after a heightened focus on the  area in recent years. With that in mind, organisations are actively seeking Chief People Officers that are able to bring ESG skills, alongside the more traditional people remit, to the Boardroom. This report by Eton Bridge Partners explores the links between Chief People Officers and the key ESG themes they face today.

Key takeaways include:

• ESG has overtaken Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the last few years with Google trends indicating that ESG is now a more searched term than CSR.
• The ‘E’ pillar of ESG typically gets the most focus. CPOs and other HR leaders have a natural opportunity to occupy the ‘S’ and ‘G’ pillars, given their area of expertise.