ESG & Sustainability

Case study

Environmental and Social Due Diligence (ESDD)

On behalf of a private equity client, we conducted ESDD on a North African manufacturing company ahead of a potential investment. Using a combination of data room review, management interviews and site visits, we assessed the company against six IFC Performance Standards, along with a range of other international frameworks.

We identified short and medium-term opportunities for value creation post-investment, as well as an Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) with priority issues to be addressed. Our assessment enabled our client to proceed with the investment and build an ESG programme for quick implementation.

Case study

Sustainability Regulatory Monitoring  

S-RM provides AI-enabled monitoring of changes to sustainability regulation in 25 jurisdictions to a global FMCG company. Focusing on such issues as single use plastics and carbon pricing, we are able to keep our client abreast of any upcoming regulatory changes, which informs their strategic decision-making around issues like packaging and
market entry.

Case study

Supply Chain Due Diligence  

A European telecommunications company asked us to review their supplier onboarding procedures and conduct due diligence on their supply chain to assess the extent of Chinese hardware and equipment within it. We were able to trace the involvement of state-linked Chinese firms, outline any concerns regarding them and, where possible, identify potential alternative suppliers or sustainability assurance schemes. We also worked with the procurement team to create new onboarding and monitoring processes to ensure that higher risk suppliers and geographies were identified earlier.

Case Study

Modern Slavery Investigation

Acting for a potential litigant, S-RM was instructed to investigate the labour practices at a luxury resort in South Asia. We discreetly obtained intelligence regarding the recruitment of employees and their working conditions, including through the use of specialised open source intelligence techniques to analyse the social media accounts of migrant workers. We were able to gather evidence of mistreatment, inappropriate practices and modern slavery at the site, with our evidence used to pressure the report into reforming its practices.

Case Study

ESG Audit

To support ESG reporting, S-RM conducted an independent audit of a minerals and chemical company's commitment to global ESG standards. We focused on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and completed a review of policies and procedures as well as site visits and stakeholder interviews in Eastern Europe. From this, we created an ESG report for shareholders, made recommendations on building a more coherent ESG programme and supported the company through its implementation.

Case Study

Local Community Engagement

We conducted a local community engagement exercise in a remote community in Australia where a large iron ore mine was in operation. This involved a stakeholder engagement exercise, formulating a community liaison programme and establishing several local community engagement programmes designed to benefit the welfare and livelihoods of the people living in the community, improve the wider regional economy and maximise outcomes for
both the organisation and the community.

Case study

Human Rights Due Diligence

Ahead of our client’s prospective investment in an agribusiness in East Africa, we conducted due diligence to identify and assess the human rights risks around the potential investment. We discreetly interviewed former employees at the company, reviewed documents provided in the data room, and analysed our findings with reference to the pertinent human rights issues in the region and against the UN General Principles, as well as other human rights commitments made by our client. Our findings were a contributing factor in our client’s investment decision.