ESG in Action

How does the Government Legal Department represent the communities it serves? And how does its social mobility programmes put students at the heart of government? In this episode, Alex Holsgrove Jones is joined by Richard Cornish, Director General and Chief Operating Officer at the Government Legal Department (GLD).  GLD is made up of around 3000 lawyers and provides legal advice to the UK government on the development, design, and implementation of government policies and decisions. Alex and Richard discuss the structural barriers that stop many young people from considering careers in the legal sector. They discuss how GLD’s initiatives – ranging from school engagement and university partnerships to paid sandwich placements and internships with the Sutton Trust – help to break down these barriers by offering students meaningful insight into legal work in the public sector. 

What should you be doing to ensure your business is fit for the future? And what’s being overcomplicated in the journey to sustainability? In this episode, Alex Holsgrove Jones is joined by Wendy Whewell, Head of Sustainable Solutions and Finance in Corporate and Commercial Banking at Santander. Santander UK is a leading financial services provider, offering a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services, with around 15 million customers across their Retail and Corporate businesses. Their purpose is to help people and businesses prosper, and this episode explores what that looks like in practice. Alex and Wendy discuss: Translating climate and nature risk into language that boards recognise – bringing real risks into the real world How business resilience is assessed, and how organisations can find a way to start on that journeyMoving away from siloing sustainability, climate change, and commercial outcomes How to encourage collaboration across organisations and supply chains to drive sustainable change.

How does sustainability lead to more engaged teams? And how do you navigate that among the pressures of everyday decision-making? Alex Holsgrove Jones is joined by Charlie Fisher (Sustainability Engagement and Governance Lead) and Sarah Waddington (Estates Lead) from Greene King, which welcomes customers into 2,700 pubs, restaurants and hotels nationwide.  In this episode, they discuss Greene King's environmental, social and governance programme, Greene King for Good, as well as: The industry changes they’ve already witnessed during their sustainability careers, and the ones they’re preparing for Why ESG successes are commercial successes How they’re engaging suppliers and Greene King’s landlord and tenant community to help integrate sustainability into everyday decision-making The benefits that their pub tenants have already seen after embracing ESG 

What’s the future of responsible investment in a landscape of ESG pushback and greenhushing? How can your ‘ABCs’ help make responsible investment decisions? Alex Holsgrove Jones is in conversation with Jaid Longmore, Responsible Investment Manager at Hymans Robertson, to discuss integrating ESG into financial decision-making, effective stewardship, and B Corp status. Hymans Robertson is an independent consultancy working across pensions, investments and insurance: helping clients to navigate complex financial decisions and build better futures.

How can you change a young person’s attitude to education? And how can we create opportunities for young people in our communities? In this episode, Alex Holsgrove Jones is joined by Gilly Samuddin, CEO of Ablaze. Ablaze is an independent charity that mobilises business volunteers to provide the support, insight and guidance required to help young people thrive. Alex and Gilly discuss: How businesses can support young people in their local communities – while still pursuing their own commercial outcomes. How Ablaze measures the tangible impact of their programmes. The benefits of volunteering – for the volunteers as well as the young people they support Why Gilly transitioned from her twelve-year teaching career into Ablaze – and what’s next for her and Ablaze.

Why is perceived complexity the biggest hurdle to the green energy transition? And how do you drive transparency in the solar panel supply chain? Alex Holsgrove Jones is in conversation with Justin Leger, Co- Managing Director of Eden Sustainable. Eden Sustainable is one of the UK’s leading developers of commercial and industrial solar energy solutions and a certified B Corp. They believe in profit with purpose: achieving commercial success, while delivering positive environmental and societal impact. In this episode, they discuss: Building confidence in the benefits of renewable energy The need for collective effort in scrutinising supply chains to drive change Educating the next generation of talent for the sector The challenge of growing responsibly without losing sight of values 

How do you build confidence in the next generation? And how can businesses increase social mobility in their local communities?In this episode, Alex Holsgrove Jones is joined by Jess Clarkson, Managing Director at Social Mobility Business Partnership (SMBP). SMBP is a volunteer-led charity that brings together more than 180 employers nationwide to deliver Work Insight and Skills Experience, or ‘WISE’ weeks, alongside mentoring that helps young people from low-income backgrounds access meaningful career pathways. Alex and Jess discuss the immense impact that SMBP has had on thousands of students’ employability skills, and how organisations can help to build employability skills in the next generation – and a more inclusive talent pipeline – together.

Why does the traditional retail model need to change?  And why does the language of sustainability matter?  Alex Holsgrove Jones chats to Sophie De Salis, Sustainability Policy Advisor at the British Retail Consortium, about the sustainability landscape of the retail industry. They talk about the power of collective action in driving change, the ESG-related changes the retail sector is preparing for, and Sophie’s own ‘glass half full’ approach. This episode was recorded while Sophie was Sustainability Advisor at the British Retail Consortium.

How has Nationwide Building Society embedded sustainability across its operations – and what has an otter in the Nationwide House lake got to do with it?Alex Holsgrove Jones chats to Amy Thomson and Andrew Martin from Nationwide Building Society about:Why sustainability matters to Nationwide – and how Nationwide is navigating sustainability changes and challenges The Wildlife Trust’s Biodiversity Benchmark accreditation, and what happened in the three years it took for Nationwide to achieve it for Nationwide House