The definition of a robust sustainability plan implies:

 

• A good level of internal maturity in terms of ESG and sustainability;

• Continuous involvement and active contribution of leadership and all key corporate functions;

• A good comprehension of the context, principal trends and ESG frameworks, how they are moving – on these topics – as well as of the company’s sector and competitors;

• A detailed analysis of the impacts of the organisation and – more in general – the material ESG topics (i.e. Materiality assessment) on which to concentrate efforts and which must be addressed in the sustainability plan.

 

A sustainability plan is never a point of arrival. Rather it is an interactive process of development and consolidation with a view to reaching targets, also in consideration of the fact that the context is in constant flux. Ideally, therefore, it must be subject to periodic updates and improvements.

 

An ESG plan will typically include:
 

• A shared vision of key pillars and macro-objectives;

• Focus areas specific to the organisation (which normally coincide with the “material topics”) associated with specific targets;

• A description of the actions to be carried out in regard to those focus areas, either directly or indirectly;

• The time scale and deadlines by which these actions must be implemented;

• Which functions in the company are accountable for their implementation;

• Which KPIs (key performance indicators) to monitor in order to assess their progress.

 

Sustainability plan and ESG plan can be taken as synonymous. Sustainability framework can be used at times simply to describe the strategic architecture which supports the actual action plan, that is, the vision, pillars, macro-objectives and specific material topics or focus areas.

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