Environmental and social issues have been pressing since the beginning of the European Union’s Sustainable Finance Strategy. Therefore, in 2020, the European Parliament approved the European Green Deal to ensure sustainable growth and environmental protection. As part of this, the Environmental Taxonomy provides a classification system for environmentally sustainable activities, which gives clarity and certainty for investors and decision-makers.
Two years later, on the 28th of February 2022, the Platform on Sustainable Finance published the final report on Social Taxonomy. A next step in harmonizing the measurement of social sustainability. The Social Taxonomy will aid investors to make informed and consistent decisions and helps to direct resources toward socially responsible activities and companies.
The environmental and social taxonomy are not mutually exclusive, rather, they complement each other and advance the progress toward green and just transitions.
The Social Taxonomy is based on Human Rights principles, resting on Standards such as the International Conventions and guidelines. More specifically, the Social Taxonomy is led by principles set out in the International Bill of Human Rights, the ILO conventions, the UN Guiding Principles, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
There has been increasing recognition of a need for social investments in socially sustainable activities. Currently, the progression toward increasing social investments is hindered by a lack of definitions and a standardized classification system of what constitutes a social investment. The Social Taxonomy will lead to more clarification, making it easier for investors to find social investments. Moreover, there is a need for socially inclusive measures to accompany the green transition, ensuring a just transition for everyone.
The objectives of the Social Taxonomy are set out based on the type of stakeholders that can affect an economic activities of an entity. These are similar to the defined stakeholder groups in the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD):
These stakeholder groups will have different objectives. These objectives will be measured through three substantial contributions made by the organizations. All three of these aspects are crucial for a social taxonomy.
Sustainalize, as a subsidiary of ERM can help you prepare for the Social Taxonomy reporting. We can establish a list of objectives and determine your economic activities within the company or portfolio, that contribute to these objectives. This way you create a clear overview of what needs to be done in order to comply with these regulations. We can also support you with human rights due diligence systems, processes, and assessments. On top of that, we help you frame economic activities that create positive social impact and set up tools for social impact measurement, focussing on the social outcomes of your activities.
Consultant, Sustainalize
With the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) published in the European Union’s Official Journal, we’d like to dive into the most recent changes, and how it affects businesses. Since publishing our last blog on CSRD updates, two major changes have taken place.
The EU Taxonomy differentiates between eligible and aligned activities. In this blog, we provide you with an overview of updated requirements, estimated timelines for your organization, and how we at Sustainalize/ERM can help guide you through the complexity of reporting in accordance with the EU Taxonomy – specifically focused on alignment.
On September 28th 2022 the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) launched the long-awaited addition to its expanding sector guidance portfolio. The Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) guidance was made publicly available to be used by industry leaders of land-intensive sectors. We have elaborated on the guidance.
info@sustainalize.com
+31 (0)30 737 00 39
KvK: 59429488
newsletter
Get the latest updates about our company, free insights, news, events and job openings.
Met OV
Phasellus dignissim nulla tincidunt ultrices interdum. Nulla a enim ullamcorper, consectetur ligula sit amet, rutrum ante. Praesent cursus viverra urna ut sagittis. Sed nunc felis, hendrerit sit amet odio a, mattis laoreet mi. Quisque diam turpis, convallis at ultrices eu, vehicula a urna. Suspendisse potenti.
Met OV
Phasellus dignissim nulla tincidunt ultrices interdum. Nulla a enim ullamcorper, consectetur ligula sit amet, rutrum ante. Praesent cursus viverra urna ut sagittis. Sed nunc felis, hendrerit sit amet odio a, mattis laoreet mi. Quisque diam turpis, convallis at ultrices eu, vehicula a urna. Suspendisse potenti.
Met OV
Phasellus dignissim nulla tincidunt ultrices interdum. Nulla a enim ullamcorper, consectetur ligula sit amet, rutrum ante. Praesent cursus viverra urna ut sagittis. Sed nunc felis, hendrerit sit amet odio a, mattis laoreet mi. Quisque diam turpis, convallis at ultrices eu, vehicula a urna. Suspendisse potenti.
