Social Value Blog
Why gender equity matters in the world of Social Value and ESG
March 8th is International Women’s Day – A Day on which we can collectively “Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated.”
In this blog we explore the role women leaders have in shaping the social value, ESG and sustainable movement and how measurement of the impact gender representation has can be more meaningful.
ESG and Social Value: Reflections from Social Value UK
As a response to an increase in requests from members about ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) and how it related to the Social Value movement, Social Value UK hosted its first Sectoral Conference on January 20th 2022 to explore these questions. This blog summarizes the conference main findings, and highlights key actions to take forward.
World Day of Social Justice 2022: Tackling Inequality at Its Roots
World Day of Social Justice, commemorated every year on 20th February, is a UN international day recognising the need to promote social justice. Commonly, when we talk about social justice, we envision a fair and equal society where everyone has the same social, political, and economic rights, which are respected and protected as well as equal opportunities and access to their basic needs. By definition then, social justice cannot be achieved without tackling inequality in all its forms. Increasing equality and wellbeing for everyone is at the core of Social Value International’s mission to change the way society accounts for value, thus making social justice inextricably linked to the social value movement.
Announcing “Beyond ESG” - a month long series of discussions hosted by SVI
It seems Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing and reporting is one of the most talked about subjects in the market at the moment. In 2020 net inflows into ESG funds in the U.S. alone reached $51.1 billion and by the end of the first quarter in 2021, Global ESG investing was nearly $2 trillion.
In response to this, throughout March 2022, Social Value International will be hosting a month-long series of conversations and thought leadership exploring these questions as we focus in on the key theme of “Beyond ESG.”
Over the course of the month, we will host webinars, discussions, masterclasses alongside blogs and thought pieces that will culminate in a half-day conference on the 29th of March “Going Beyond ESG”.
Fair Accounting
Last year, Andrew King and Kenneth Pucker argued in SSIR that “new proposals for monetizing corporate planetary impacts are alluring, impossible, and perilous,” and specifically referenced the Impact-Weighted Accounts project at Harvard Business School. Since their statements about our work and its goals also apply to the entire impact valuation community, we have written this response to reiterate our position that impact monetization is the most expedient way for multi-stakeholder impact considerations to be incorporated into management and investor decision-making.
By T. Robert Zochowski, Katie Panella & Ben Carpenter
Making stakeholder engagement truly meaningful
Meaningful stakeholder engagement refers to the routine interaction with any relevant stakeholders, including those individuals that are affected by your decisions, with the openness to adjust your services based on their feedback. Yet, currently, stakeholder engagement is used more as a buzzword as opposed to its purpose of tangibly influencing decision making. So how do we turn stakeholder engagement from just a buzzword to a meaningful and practical process?
What to expect in 2022
In this blog, our CEO Ben Carpenter reflects on the last few years, the impact of the global pandemic, the scale of growth in social value measurement and impact management, and shares his predictions for what he expects to see in 2022…
SVI has responded to the CDSB Consultation on corporate reporting on social issues
In early January, Social Value International published a draft response to the Climate Disclosure Standard Board consultation on expanding the scope of the CDSB Framework to include material social information. Following a period of consultation with our own international community of members and partners, SVI has submitted a response.
Help shape SVI’s response to the CDSB Consultation on Social Reporting
An open public consultation is underway on expanding the scope of the Climate Disclosure Standard Board Framework to include material social information, and as a member of Social Value International we would like you to help shape our response!
SDGs – Zooming in on Wellbeing
As COP-26 draws to a close whilst all eyes may be focussed on the outcomes of the vital discussions around climate change and protection of the natural world, but in this blog, we wanted to instead discuss the interlinks between the SDGs and wellbeing.
World Children’s Day: The Power of Young People as Changemakers
World Children’s Day is celebrated every year on 20th November to commemorate the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the UN General Assembly in 1959. It offers each of us an entry-point to advocate, promote and celebrate children's rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for all children.
Leading international organisations launch Platform to address calls for clarity on how to improve sustainability impacts
Leading international providers of sustainability standards and guidance have come together to create the Impact Management Platform, a collaboration to mainstream the practice of impact management. As a first product, the ‘Platform’, whose steering committee brings together the IFC, OECD and several UN organisations, has launched a web tool that outlines the core actions of impact management and links to the resources to help organisations and investors implement them.
Social Value International response to the creation of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)
During the November 2021 COP26 negotiations the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) Foundation announced the creation of a new International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB).
This is a landmark moment in SVI’s collective mission to change the way society accounts for value and in this blog you can read and download the SVI response to the IFRS announcement.
Leveraging impact data for business growth
Data, a key tool in the world of finance, yet often ignored in the scene of social impact management. But how to manage without measuring? Experts Lina and Pieter explain their views and share their tips on leveraging impact data.
How Valuation in the Boardroom can help achieve the SDGs.
Throughout the Social Value Matters 2021, several key themes emerged including the importance of accountability, the need to include the voices of stakeholders in the decision-making process, the urgency of change, and the vital inclusion of young people in the transformation we need. These themes were particularly pronounced in the session “Valuation in the Boardroom” - a session supported by the Value Accounting Network. Find out more…
Applying social value to international development and humanitarian assistance
Last week, at Social Value Matters 2021, SVDHA launched its first case studies, and its checklist on applying social value to the international development and humanitarian assistance sectors.
The first three case studies are now live on the SVDHA website – and further case studies are in development.
See you at SVM2021!
We cannot wait to welcome attendees to join us at SVM2021! With the dedicated conference site now live, find out how you can engage with Social Value Matters 2021.
Financing the SDGs: How To Take a Leap Forward
Set to miss the 2030 targeted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we ask ourselves what role the financial sector has to play to reach the needed scale and pace.
Here are the recommendations from our live webinar with previously mentioned Belissa Rojas and Priscilla Boiardi, Policy Analyst and Private Finance for Sustainable Development for the OECD.
SDGs – Zooming in on Environment
The IPCC report is not the first warning highlighting the risks that climate change poses and global action to address climate change has been promised for many years, from the Rio Declaration in 1992 to the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, leaders across the world have come together with promises to tackle the climate crisis. Yet despite warning for many years, the crisis is worsening year on year. In this blog we discuss how climate change, the environment, the SDGs and the social value movement are all connected and what more can be done.