ESG Corner

Introduction: ESG in a Changing Business Landscape The business landscape is changing at an unprecedented pace. Climate risks, resource constraints, evolving regulations, investor expectations, technological disruption and growing public awareness are reshaping how organisations define success. In this environment, environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations can no longer sit at the margins of business strategy. They must inform how organisations anticipate change, allocate resources, manage risks and create lasting value. From my professional perspective, one of the most important shifts underway is the transition of ESG from a reporting exercise to a way of thinking and operating. Organisations that treat sustainability only as a compliance requirement may meet immediate obligations, but those that embed it into decision-making are better positioned

Corporates are increasingly integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into their strategic and managerial decision-making. The objective is not merely to address environmental and social concerns, but also to create sustainable value for a wide range of stakeholders. However, as ESG becomes increasingly embedded in corporate strategy, managers need to ask a more fundamental question: Do investments in ESG create or destroy business value, and through which channels? This question has become particularly relevant in India, where sustainability reporting has moved from voluntary disclosure towards a more structured regulatory framework. In 2021, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) introduced the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR), requiring the top 1,000 listed entities by market capitalisation to report

Nature took thousands of years to establish balance. Mountains rose, rivers found their courses, forests evolved, and life flourished within carefully calibrated limits. Early human progress respected this equilibrium. Communities grew, agriculture expanded, trade evolved all largely within nature’s carrying capacity. Development and nature coexisted. The disruption began when development turned into domination. Industrialisation, fossil-fuel dependence, unchecked consumption, and the belief in infinite growth gradually disturbed this delicate balance. Carbon emissions rose relentlessly, ecosystems weakened, and the climate began to respond. Floods, cyclones, droughts, heatwaves, and rising sea levels became nature’s reminders that equilibrium was under threat. Today, humanity faces an uncomfortable truth: if everyone lived at the consumption levels of developed economies, we would need nearly three Earths. The