Enabling Telecom company access to sustainability-linked funding through improved ESG strategy, controls and ratings
The client is a London Stock Exchange (LSE) listed European technology company, offering a wide range of services: fixed and mobile telephony, broadband services, pay television, integrated ICT solutions, maritime communications and real-estate.
The company entrusted dss+ to help develop their corporate ESG strategy, controls, reporting and ratings, thereby helping them to get more investment.
Challenge
dss+ has been engaged with this client for multiple years. The company entrusted dss+ to enhance its sustainability strategy, improve its ESG performance and corporate reporting, and support its team in responding to ESG analyst and investor groups. In addition, the client asked dss+ to help them stay one step ahead of investor and analyst requests, advise its Management on ESG trends, impacts, risks and opportunities.
Solutions
dss+ supported the client in designing the Group’s sustainability strategy and integrating it into the Group’s corporate strategy. Steps to creating the new strategy included:
- Analysing its material ESG issues and advancing its approach by aligning it with its Enterprise Risk Management process and by updating it to take into consideration the company’s impact (i.e. the double materiality concept).
- Identifying targets and roadmaps to achieve them.
- Developing ESG policies.
- Developing tools to monitor its corporate responsibility activities’ impact.
- Assessing the integration of UN Sustainable Development Goals into the Group’s business strategy.
- Measuring and reporting impact of select corporate initiatives.
- Working with the Group on drafting its ESG disclosures published in its Annual Financial and Integrated Reports.
- Collaborating with the client’s team to carefully guide their responses to analysts and investors in order to achieve highest scores and to identify potential areas for improvement.
- Advising the group on sustainable financing opportunities and reporting (EU taxonomy).
Assignment
Design sustainability strategy and develop tools to monitor, measure and report impact.
Offerings
Sustainability strategy advisory and reporting
- Improved client’s corporate ESG controls and reporting, resulting in international recognition at the CRReporting Awards in 2021.
- Client included in ESG indices and continuously received improved ESG ratings, including FTSE4Good, DJSI, Vigeo Eiris Emerging Markets Index, CDP, Ethibel EXCELLENCE Investment Register, STOXX, Sustainalytics, MSCI, Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, etc.
- Improved access to sustainability-linked funding instruments