{"id":1578,"date":"2023-09-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/"},"modified":"2025-11-18T08:11:35","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T08:11:35","slug":"what-is-esg","status":"publish","type":"knowledge","link":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/","title":{"rendered":"What is ESG? How small businesses can make a positive social impact"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors are used to measure a business on its sustainability, ethics, and impact on the community. Going beyond profitability and performance, these factors look at how energy and resources are used within a business and how that impacts the world around us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simply Business is on a mission to be a force for good. From looking at ways to improve the lives of our customers and employees to giving back through our charity initiatives, we take our social responsibility seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While ESG may sound like something reserved for bigger businesses, the role small businesses play in driving positive social change is becoming increasingly important. And it doesn\u2019t necessarily need to involve a large budget or investment to make a difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The UK\u2019s small businesses make up 99 per cent of all British businesses, so even small changes at this scale have the potential to make an impact. And their role at the heart of our towns and cities across the country means small businesses can support sustainable communities by hiring locally and stimulating the local economy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-environmental-social-and-governance\">What is environmental, social, and governance?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ESG is the term used for assessing a company\u2019s sustainability standards. Essentially, it\u2019s defined by the policies and frameworks a business puts in place around these key areas: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>environmental<\/strong> \u2013 the energy and resources a business uses, including carbon emissions and waste<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>social<\/strong> \u2013 how you support people within your business and your local community, for example through employee wellbeing, charity fundraising, or diversity, equity, and inclusion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>governance <\/strong>\u2013 how you govern, make ethical decisions, and stay within the law while running your business. For example, factoring how your decisions could impact stakeholders, consumers, and investors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Environmental, social, and governance are the three ESG principles that will underpin your strategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-should-small-businesses-implement-an-esg-strategy\">Should small businesses implement an ESG strategy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are many reasons why a small business could benefit from creating an ESG strategy, from attracting investment to showing your <a href=\"\/knowledge\/marketing\/how-to-create-a-brand-identity\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1114\">brand values<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sustainable finance is increasingly important as the UK strives to achieve net zero targets and invest in renewable solutions. Although this can be challenging to access for small businesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Customers are looking for brands that show they care about more than just their product or service and making money. In fact, reducing carbon footprint is one of the most important environmentally and ethical values for consumers when buying from a brand, according to Deloitte\u2019s latest <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.deloitte.com\/uk\/en\/pages\/consumer-business\/articles\/sustainable-consumer.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">sustainability report<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reducing your ESG footprint could help you win <a href=\"\/knowledge\/funding\/small-business-funding-and-investment\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"18378\">investment<\/a>. Banks look at ESG when deciding whether to <a href=\"\/knowledge\/funding\/best-small-business-loans\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"22720\">loan money to a business<\/a>, and there\u2019s a rise of \u2018green bonds\u2019 and \u2018sustainable bonds\u2019 available.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How your business supports employees is a key part of ESG and creating a positive workplace culture can boost productivity and attract people to work with you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, while moving the dial on sustainability efforts can sound daunting and costly, there may be changes you can make that actually reduce your costs. For example, taking action to reduce waste in your business can save resources and energy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"nba-body-001\">\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-implement-an-esg-policy-for-a-small-business-in-5-steps\">How to implement an ESG policy for a small business in 5 steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-analyse-your-business\">1. Analyse your business<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your business will already be having an impact on your customers, suppliers, the community and the world around you. The first step is acknowledging that this relationship already exists and then understanding where this impact is <strong>positive<\/strong>, <strong>neutral<\/strong> or <strong>negative<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Start by thinking about the whole lifecycle of your product or service. Consider your supply chain and where your materials come from. By talking to your suppliers you might find areas where you can reduce waste or switch to more renewable providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you have employees, ask them to complete a survey to help you understand how you can better support employee wellbeing or improve diversity, equity, and inclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stakeholder interviews are another useful way to gather data as you benchmark your business performance against ESG factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-set-meaningful-esg-goals\">2. Set meaningful ESG goals <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What are you going to do to reduce your impact in these areas? It\u2019s a good idea to make sure goals are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If setting goals for positive impact seems too far out of reach for now, start by aiming for your impact to be neutral. Start with the goal to &#8216;do not harm&#8217; \u2013 with this philosophy you can set goals for improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some goals will be easy to measure but some might just need your \u2018best guess\u2019. This is still useful and helps you understand if you\u2019re heading in the right direction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-consider-your-budget\">3. Consider your budget<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It can be overwhelming when thinking about all the things you could do to improve your ESG rating. But it\u2019s important to make sure you stick to a realistic budget and make changes over time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We know from our SME Insights Report research that over half of the UK\u2019s small businesses are held back by the financial cost of implementing their <a href=\"\/knowledge\/strategy\/sustainability-in-business-goals-affected-by-rising-costs\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1542\">sustainability goals<\/a>. Making small changes within your supply chain, or larger changes when it comes to product development can all play a part here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-start-improving-esg\">4. Start improving ESG<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now you know what you need to focus on, you can start making changes. For example, can you look at a new supplier for your packaging and choose a more sustainable material? Or can you replace single-use cups in your office with reusable ones? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To help you know what to focus on and where you can make a difference, it can be helpful to ask yourself this question: Could doing this action create a positive impact that wouldn\u2019t happen otherwise?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-report-on-your-progress\">5. Report on your progress <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Transparent ESG reporting is an essential part of implementing this and being successful. You\u2019ll likely have a mix of long and short-term goals, and will have a list of activities you need to do to achieve them. Communicating how you\u2019re getting on to shareholders and investors is important here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, you might want to create a sustainability report and include details of ESG initiatives you\u2019re working on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-measure-your-esg-rating\">How to measure your ESG rating?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ESG performance is based on a range of factors and metrics \u2013 there\u2019s no one measure to know how you\u2019re doing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You could start by looking at:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">this <a href=\"https:\/\/smeclimatehub.org\/start-measuring\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">carbon emissions calculator<\/a> from SME Climate Hub to help you measure your environmental impact<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">the level of diversity and inclusion in your workplace <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">your impact on your community or customers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">how you report on progress to improve your governance <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One tip is to try not to just talk about positive impact. Be honest about areas where you need to improve and this will help you build trust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-esg-policy-ideas-you-could-use-for-your-business\">ESG policy ideas you could use for your business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Environmental and social issues cover a broad range of areas, but here\u2019s a few ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">looking after employee wellbeing <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">supporting <a href=\"\/about-us\/diversity-equity-inclusion\/\">diversity, equity, and inclusion<\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">choosing sustainable materials and embracing the circular economy <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">reducing transport miles and resources your business uses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">raising money for local causes <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/strategy\/sustainability-in-business-goals-affected-by-rising-costs\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1542\">reducing waste<\/a> and water usage, from paper to <a href=\"\/knowledge\/strategy\/best-eco-friendly-packaging-materials-for-small-businesses\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1543\">unnecessary packaging <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">embracing new technologies to make your business more efficient<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, here at Simply Business we\u2019re focused on giving back. We\u2019ve had volunteer teams trek across jungles, the Sahara, and even the Arctic to raise money for our charity partners \u2013 this year\u2019s team hopes to raise \u00a320,000 as they trek across Cambodia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having a <a href=\"\/knowledge\/strategy\/how-to-write-a-mission-statement\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1457\">big ambition<\/a> and small goals to help you get there is key to making an impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youunderwear.com\/en-gb\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Y.O.U underwear<\/a> is a small business with a mission: \u201cEveryone should enjoy our slow fashion underwear, and we celebrate all body types.\u201d They\u2019re committed to putting purpose over profit and have smaller goals \u2013 like donating to charity and using sustainable manufacturers \u2013 to help them on their journey.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re not sure where to start, look for guidance on ESG principles and sustainability from accredited industry bodies to find specific information for your trade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-esg-investing\">What is ESG investing? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Investors are increasingly looking at a company\u2019s ESG rating when deciding whether to finance it. So, if you\u2019re looking for investment to grow your business, then taking steps to improve your ESG could be a good move. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course investors will still look at profitability and turnover to support their financing decisions. But showing that you can make a positive impact on the environment and society could make you an attractive proposition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even judges for our annual <a href=\"\/business-boost\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"354\">Business Boost cash grant<\/a> look at how a business contributes positively to society when deciding who should win the \u00a325,000 business investment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Have you got an ESG strategy for your small business? Let us know your tips in the comments below. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-more-guides-for-small-businesses\">More guides for small businesses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1163\" href=\"\/knowledge\/retail\/how-to-start-a-clothing-brand\/\">How to create a sustainable fashion brand \u2013 tips from small business owners<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/staff\/employee-benefits-guide\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1107\">What employee benefits can attract new hires to your business? <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/business-insurance\/faq\/how-much-employers-liability-insurance-do-i-need\/\">How much employers\u2019 liability insurance do I need?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"nba-upsell-001\" class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-200-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-94e519ba wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"h-get-personalised-insurance-for-your-business\">Get personalised insurance for your business<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">Whether your company needs <a href=\"\/business-insurance\/public-liability-insurance\/\">public liability insurance<\/a>, <a href=\"\/business-insurance\/business-interruption-insurance\/\">business interruption insurance<\/a>, or something else entirely, we\u2019ll work with you to find the cover you need. Get a quote online, or talk to our expert team on 0333 016 4307.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/quote.simplybusiness.co.uk\/business\">Start your quote<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Photograph: Gorodenkoff\/stock.adobe.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"nba-body-end\">\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Attract investors while reducing your environmental footprint and having a positive social impact. Social Impact Manager, Natalie Rathner shares her tips.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":2749,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"sb_hreflang":"","sb_hreflang_url":"","disable_breadcrumbs":false,"sb_breadcrumbs":[],"sb_reviewed_by":"","sb_review_date":"","sb_enable_content_gating":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[341,110],"hidden-category":[],"coauthors":[22],"class_list":["post-1578","knowledge","type-knowledge","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-strategy","category-business-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is ESG? How a small business can make an impact<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Attract investors while reducing your environmental footprint and having a positive social impact. Social Impact Manager, Natalie Rathner shares her tips.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Could an ESG policy help your business win investment?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Here\u2019s how to measure environmental, society, and governance for your small business.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Simply Business UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/simplybusiness\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-18T08:11:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/06\/what-is-esg.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"What is ESG? How small businesses can make a positive social impact\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@simplybusiness\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"Natalie Rathner\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/\"},\"author\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Natalie Rathner\",\"description\":\"\\nNatalie's passion is to help organisations and people gain the mindset, skills and knowledge needed to mobilise resources for effective social impact. As the Head of Social Impact and Strategic Programmes at Simply Business, Natalie oversees the global social impact strategy and implementation, helping to bring social impact to the core of the business. \\n\"},\"headline\":\"What is ESG? How small businesses can make a positive social impact\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-09-08T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-18T08:11:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/\"},\"wordCount\":1540,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/what-is-esg.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Business strategy\",\"Small business news\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/\",\"name\":\"What is ESG? How a small business can make an impact\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/what-is-esg.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-09-08T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-18T08:11:35+00:00\",\"description\":\"Attract investors while reducing your environmental footprint and having a positive social impact. Social Impact Manager, Natalie Rathner shares her tips.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/what-is-esg.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/what-is-esg.jpg\",\"width\":815,\"height\":458,\"caption\":\"Business meeting pitching ESG strategy\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Knowledge\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/%category%\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"What is ESG? How small businesses can make a positive social impact\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/\",\"name\":\"Simply Business UK\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/cba1502f47752908c01c557a1dea27d2\",\"name\":\"Ritesh Patel\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/simply-business\/dist\/images\/default-author-avatar.webp9df6147f02078f0218660330fdfbacf3\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/simply-business\/dist\/images\/default-author-avatar.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/simply-business\/dist\/images\/default-author-avatar.webp\",\"caption\":\"Ritesh Patel\"}},{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#local-main-place-address\",\"streetAddress\":\"Hylo, 105 Bunhill Row\",\"addressLocality\":\"London\",\"postalCode\":\"EC1Y 8LZ\",\"addressCountry\":\"GB\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#local-main-organization-logo\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/logo.png\",\"width\":533,\"height\":187,\"caption\":\"Simply Business UK\"}]}<\/script>\n<meta name=\"geo.placename\" content=\"London\" \/>\n<meta name=\"geo.region\" content=\"United Kingdom (UK)\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What is ESG? How a small business can make an impact","description":"Attract investors while reducing your environmental footprint and having a positive social impact. Social Impact Manager, Natalie Rathner shares her tips.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Could an ESG policy help your business win investment?","og_description":"Here\u2019s how to measure environmental, society, and governance for your small business.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/","og_site_name":"Simply Business UK","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/simplybusiness","article_modified_time":"2025-11-18T08:11:35+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/06\/what-is-esg.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"What is ESG? How small businesses can make a positive social impact","twitter_site":"@simplybusiness","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"8 minutes","Written by":"Natalie Rathner"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Natalie Rathner","description":"\nNatalie's passion is to help organisations and people gain the mindset, skills and knowledge needed to mobilise resources for effective social impact. As the Head of Social Impact and Strategic Programmes at Simply Business, Natalie oversees the global social impact strategy and implementation, helping to bring social impact to the core of the business. \n"},"headline":"What is ESG? How small businesses can make a positive social impact","datePublished":"2023-09-08T00:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-18T08:11:35+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/"},"wordCount":1540,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/what-is-esg.jpg","articleSection":["Business strategy","Small business news"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/","url":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/","name":"What is ESG? How a small business can make an impact","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/what-is-esg.jpg","datePublished":"2023-09-08T00:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-18T08:11:35+00:00","description":"Attract investors while reducing your environmental footprint and having a positive social impact. Social Impact Manager, Natalie Rathner shares her tips.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/what-is-esg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/what-is-esg.jpg","width":815,"height":458,"caption":"Business meeting pitching ESG strategy"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Knowledge","item":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/%category%\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"What is ESG? How small businesses can make a positive social impact"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/","name":"Simply Business UK","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/cba1502f47752908c01c557a1dea27d2","name":"Ritesh Patel","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/simply-business\/dist\/images\/default-author-avatar.webp9df6147f02078f0218660330fdfbacf3","url":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/simply-business\/dist\/images\/default-author-avatar.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/simply-business\/dist\/images\/default-author-avatar.webp","caption":"Ritesh Patel"}},{"@type":"PostalAddress","@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#local-main-place-address","streetAddress":"Hylo, 105 Bunhill Row","addressLocality":"London","postalCode":"EC1Y 8LZ","addressCountry":"GB"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/#local-main-organization-logo","url":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/logo.png","width":533,"height":187,"caption":"Simply Business UK"}]},"geo.placename":"London","geo.region":"United Kingdom (UK)"},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"What is ESG? How small businesses can make a positive social impact","url":"http:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/strategy\/what-is-esg\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/what-is-esg.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/what-is-esg.jpg"},"articleSection":"Business strategy","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Natalie Rathner"}],"creator":["Natalie Rathner"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Simply Business UK","logo":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/04\/icon-512x512-1.png"},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2023-09-08T00:00:00Z","datePublished":"2023-09-08T00:00:00Z","dateModified":"2025-11-18T08:11:35Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"What is ESG? How small businesses can make a positive social impact\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\\\/knowledge\\\/strategy\\\/what-is-esg\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\\\/knowledge\\\/strategy\\\/what-is-esg\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2024\\\/05\\\/what-is-esg.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2024\\\/05\\\/what-is-esg.jpg\"},\"articleSection\":\"Business strategy\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Natalie Rathner\"}],\"creator\":[\"Natalie Rathner\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Simply Business UK\",\"logo\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/icon-512x512-1.png\"},\"keywords\":[],\"dateCreated\":\"2023-09-08T00:00:00Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-09-08T00:00:00Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-18T08:11:35Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/simplybusiness.co.uk\/p.js"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge\/1578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/knowledge"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1578"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge\/1578\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43597,"href":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge\/1578\/revisions\/43597"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1578"},{"taxonomy":"hidden-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hidden-category?post=1578"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=1578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}