Mark Lyttleton is a speaker, business mentor and angel investor who takes a keen interest in supporting early-stage businesses launched with the aim of achieving a positive planetary impact. This article will look at Maanch, a pioneering B-Corp and Impact Management Platform that was established in 2018 to provide SaaS and advisory solutions around ESG and sustainability data to corporates, investors, asset managers and donor-advised funds.
Around the world today, companies, investors and governments are all talking about achieving net zero goals. However, in spite of all the noise, growing pledges and global momentum, experts warn of a lack of substantive action and continued greenwashing in terms of achieving net zero.
The United Nations defines net zero as reducing emissions to as close to zero as possible, with remaining greenhouse gas emissions reabsorbed from the Earth’s atmosphere, for instance, by forests and oceans. Essentially, net zero is the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced versus those removed from the atmosphere.
Experts warn that that the planet is on the brink of a climate crisis and that doing nothing will render the environment, the global economy and society at large dangerously damaged. The problem has been addressed by scientists, political leaders and academic experts, with virtually unanimous agreement that unless humankind acts now the planet faces potentially catastrophic consequences.
Under The Paris Agreement, 194 countries came together, entering into a legally binding treaty committing to taking certain actions on climate change. These include:
- Substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions as part of efforts to keep the global temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius throughout this century
- Pursuing efforts to limit the increase even further, with a maximum global temperature increase of 1.5 degrees compared with preindustrial temperatures
- Providing financing to developing nations to mitigate climate change, helping them to strengthen their resilience and enhancing their ability to adapt to climate change impacts
- Each country bound by The Paris Agreement reviewing their commitments every five years
Today, those 194 governments and countries remain united in their mission of keeping global temperature rises below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Maanch was established with the vision of making sustainability non-negotiable, empowering businesses to embed sustainability into all of their decision-making processes. The company aims to unite global efforts for a sustainable future, having been founded and launched at the House of Lords in the United Kingdom in 2018. The company is paving the way for technological advancements to be leveraged in pursuit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In an era when philanthropic donations have become increasingly important, Maanch’s innovative platform works to unlock barriers to impact investment and philanthropic capital, measuring the extent of its contribution to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Today, a growing number of companies and investors are disclosing their ESG reporting as part of their sustainability measures. According to the United Nations, more than 1,200 companies globally are currently committed to achieving net zero through science-based targets. Thousands more companies have pledged to reach net zero, although a report by South Pole indicates that a large proportion of those organisations lack science-based targets.
In the world of business, there is a growing focus on net zero as a commercial incentive. Committing to net zero has numerous benefits for businesses, including:
- Presenting the business as a more attractive investment option to socially and environmentally conscious investors
- Increasing efficiency of operations by reducing consumption of materials, emissions and energy use, making the business run more smoothly while simultaneously driving down costs
- Enhancing brand image by presenting the business as a socially and environmentally conscious enterprise; according to a 2022 report by Deloitte, consumers adopting a sustainable lifestyle are inclined to interact only with companies that align with their values and practices
ESG investing has gained huge traction in recent years, despite a barrage of greenwashing. According to a report published by Bloomberg Intelligence, by 2022, Global ESG assets were tipped to breach $41 trillion in value, easily surpassing the 2021 global total of $35 trillion. Despite the challenges presented by greenwashing, Bloomberg Intelligence’s report suggests that more and more investments are embracing net zero initiatives, and for good reason.
The implementation of climate change regulations is predicted to increase steadily across the globe. Against this backdrop, companies will need to find a way to interweave their net zero goals into their overall business strategy, as without a holistic strategic framework net zero data will fall flat. In addition, with no accountability, more companies are likely to greenwash. As Squire Patton ESG Manager Tom Hancocks points out, it takes a huge amount of infrastructure to achieve net zero. However, making commitments in that direction is an important first step.
Maanch provides ESG and sustainability advisory solutions, helping companies to develop robust decarbonisation strategies. The company also conducts climate finance risk assessments for the companies it serves, helping them to identify and map out potential risks.
