Fostering market efficiency & sustainable economic development.
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Initiatives
At Engelhart we are committed to providing a safe, healthy, inclusive and exciting workplace for all. Our business is conducted with the highest ethical standards. We focus on preserving our environment, addressing climate change and ensuring sustainability. We also recognise the importance of investing in and addressing inequalities in our communities.
For us, ESG is not a tick box, it is something we are absolutely committed to and passionately believe in. To this end, we have established a permanent committee tasked with developing and implementing our ESG program with commitment from senior management. The ESG Working Group partners with BTG Pactual’s ESG team and engages with team members across our organisation through various other subcommittees.
The ESG Working Group is committed to promoting the good health and wellbeing of all our employees. The Group also ensures the company considers responsible consumption and production, as well as the current environmental challenges. Equality in our industry is something that could be improved upon, and our ESG Working Group is looking at all areas of inequality.
The positive impact of the ESG working group is already evident in our workplace initiatives, such as: a continuation of flexible remote working post COVID; providing free flu vaccinations to all employees; ensuring the highest levels of health and safety across all our offices; using sustainably sourced and/or recyclable products wherever possible.
However, our journey is only just beginning. We intend to take further steps towards increasing the diversity of our workforce and further enhancing opportunities for women and other under-represented groups.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
As recommended by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (‘SDG’) Global Compass, we considered our business inputs, outputs and stakeholder interests to determine how we might positively impact the SDGs.
This work involved considering all our opportunities to support the SDGs, such as doing our part to reduce CO2 emissions of our freight business; attracting and retaining talent; and enhancing shareholder value in a way that is in line with our values.
Based on this exercise we have selected the following UN Sustainable Development Goals as focus areas for us:
Good Health & Well-being
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
We are working to ensure the good health and well-being of our work force and surrounding community. Among other initiatives, we have conducted enhanced health and safety reviews for all our offices; offering flu vaccines to all employees; and allow some flexible remote working.
Gender Equality
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Reduced Inequalities
Reduce inequality within and among countries.
Historically, our industry has not been well represented by women and traditionally marginalised communities. At Engelhart we are committed to ensuring we have a fair and diverse working environment and have partnered with ‘100 Women in Finance’ to focus on attracting more women into our organisation. We strongly believe a diverse team is key to enriching our working experience and helping us remain as successful as possible, and a comprehensive diversity and inclusion initiative is underway.
Responsible Consumption and Production
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
We constantly seek to meet the most environmentally sustainable practices in our offices. For example, all of our offices have incorporated prudent resource use as a core principle of daily activities to reduce emissions, prevent pollution and waste, and reduce energy use. Many of our offices are located in sustainability focused buildings that conserve energy and water, reduce waste sent to landfills, achieve energy efficiency, and/or reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
Climate Action
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
Engelhart has invested in an emissions calculator, methodology, and auditable process to allow it to assess and plan its emissions reduction efforts. We are calculating carbon emissions from our general business operations including our freighting activity, and invest in carbon-reducing initiatives. Our aim is to achieve net zero carbon emissions for the entire business.
Life On Land
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
We promote recycling across our offices and are committed to removing single use plastics from each of our office locations. As above, we are calculating carbon emissions from our general business operations and our freighting activity, and invest in carbon reducing initiatives. Our aim is to achieve net zero carbon emissions for the entire business.
I was so pleased to be part of the founding of the Environmental Social and Governance, (ESG) Working Group, the subcommittee on Gender Equality and Reduced Inequalities as well as on the subcommittee on Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Change and Life on Land. I think that the most important message about ESG is that this is not just a nice-to-have, rather it is a fundamental shift in the way we live and do business on a global basis.
Monique Kennedy
Global Head of Compliance, Stamford