With increasing focus on climate change and environmental sustainability, businesses are under increasing pressure to align their operations with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. 

Government regulations and policies around environmental protection, labor practices, diversity, and corporate governance are influencing business practices.

Investors, shareholders, and employees expect businesses to seriously consider ESG aspects of doing business. Even the younger generation of consumers rally behind companies that are doing good for the environment, its partners, and its people.

According to a PWC report, 76% of consumers say they will stop buying from companies that poorly treat the environment, employees, or the community in which they operate.

While ESG is an organization-wide initiative to improve its operations, supply chains, and marketing and sales activities, we would like to focus more on how optimizing your office place and buildings can contribute to improving the ESG initiatives.

Let’s have a quick primer on what exactly is ESG.

What is ESG?

ESG stands for an organization’s policies in matters relating to the environment (E), social issues (S), and governance (G). Here’s a closer look at each term:

Environment 

This term refers to an organization’s impact on the environment. Matters such as a company’s emissions, preservation of resources, waste management strategies, etc., are encompassed within this classification.

Social

This term refers to an organization’s policies and practices related to its employees, customers, suppliers, and the communities in which it operates. How the company treats its employees, its policies promoting diversity and inclusivity, its ethical labor practices, and its engagement with the local community all fall under the umbrella of social considerations.

Governance

This term refers to an organization’s internal policies and procedures around risk management, ethics, board structure, shareholder rights, executive compensation, etc. Good governance assists in guaranteeing that a company operates ethically.

Why is ESG Compliance Important?

ESG helps organizations mitigate risks associated with environmental and social issues, improve their governance practices, and make them more sustainable in the long run. 

The need for ESG compliance makes organizations constantly look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint, champion social causes, and exemplify proper governance.

How Meeting Room Booking System Contributes to ESG Compliance?

At first glance, a meeting room booking system might not seem directly related to ESG compliance. However, this software has the power to influence all three aspects of ESG profoundly. Let us address how workplace management software that comprises meeting room booking and desk reservation systems can influence your ESG guidelines under each aspect.

Environmental

A meeting room booking and desk reservation system impacts the environmental aspects of a company by being able to optimize the space usage for doing business. Being able to have business rules that control the usage of meeting rooms or desks can make it available for the staff to use based on their needs. As space is better utilized, the revenue per square foot of space can be improved. This information can also be used for future planning as companies scale with management having better insights into the utilization.

When linked up with occupancy sensors and lighting and air-conditioning systems, electricity can be better controlled so that there is no wastage of electricity. According to a report, lighting use constitutes about 20% of the total energy consumption in commercial buildings. The image below shows how occupancy sensors can help reduce the consumption of electricity by different types of meeting spaces:

[Source: Wireless Occupancy Sensors for Lighting Controls: An Applications Guide for Federal Facility Managers]

Social

Employees form a critical component of the social aspect of ESG. With an effective meeting room and desk booking system, employees have the flexibility to work at their preferred location or with colleagues by easily finding them and reserving a space. This increases employee satisfaction, boosts productivity, and improves the morale and culture of the organization. With modern workplaces that are moving towards flexible working with open seating concepts, this becomes a huge benefit to the employees and the management.

Governance

In the modern, open-seating office, anyone can sit anywhere and work with anyone. Under this new cultural transformation of the office, comes the need to have effective policies and guidelines on usage of the workplace. A democratic and open policy that applies to all provides the necessary guidelines for usage. Effective controls and audits provide information on the usage as well as the privileges of users. This greatly impacts how the office is governed.

When tracking office space usage, management can come up with policies on usage, optimization, and expansion. Electricity usage can be tied to carbon consumption and reported to lawmakers for compliance.

So a workplace management system enables transparent and effective communication within the organization. This helps in disseminating information about company policies, codes of conduct, and ethical guidelines. It also offers data-driven insights that assist in making informed decisions, aligning with strong corporate governance principles. By complying with several building energy regulations and human capital policies and laws companies can address governance requirements put in place by the authorities.

Conclusion

ESG compliance isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a fundamental shift in how businesses operate these days. It is also not a fad that will disappear after a while. With the increasing threat of climate change and the need to be conscious about consumption, ESG is also a good barometer of how companies perceive their long-term sustainability. While there is so much that can be done, a quick start to getting into the ESG compliance track is through managing their workplace management. A system that can effectively keep track of your meeting room and desk usage can help ensure your office space complies with ESG guidelines.