Non-financial ESG reporting is becoming key among investors and firms are using indoor air quality data to demonstrate sustainability and well-being action.
It’s a year of firsts for ESG in Irish business, with the inaugural ESG Summit in Croke Park in May 2022 and the inaugural ESG Awards in the Mansion House in June 2022, enthusiastically attended by board members, building managers and asset owners. Expect many more in the years to come, as Environmental, Social and Governance policy becomes ever more deeply embedded in the corporate and investment worlds.
This latest addition to the alphabet soup of paradigm shifts in 21st-century business practice has a laudable goal. It aims to make the world sustainable and invest in companies showing positive action in climate change, and business practices.
ESG is a key component of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF’s) ‘Great Reset’. Experts are seizing the opportunity to guide responsible companies towards increased value and profitability in the future. Non-financial ESG reporting and auditing will be as important as financial metrics for investor decision-making.
Enhancing ESG Reporting: Integrating Indoor Air Quality Monitoring for Workplace Wellness
And therein lies the rub. For accurate reporting, we need accurate data. It is even better if internationally recognized standards grade this data. It’s easy enough to measure your utility usage and provide regulatory bodies with a clear picture of its impact on the Environment. Or to record and demonstrate the impact of enhanced Governance measures in your annual report to shareholders. It’s far more difficult to quantify the impact of Social, say, within employee wellness initiatives such as the Wednesday Walkathon or Free Burger Friday. Gains or reductions on the weighing scales don’t count.
Corporates add air quality monitoring to ESG and wellness mix due to the importance of safe workplaces and Covid-19 concerns. Employers use ZiggyTec to improve ventilation and provide evidence.
ZiggyTec’s smart sensors monitor the quality of air in workplaces, measuring five key parameters that can harm health and productivity. We measure CO2, Particulate Matter, Volatile Organic Compounds, Temperature and Humidity. Also, provide actionable insights on keeping all of these at a safe level within the workplace.
Maximizing ESG Goals with Indoor Air Quality Monitoring
The discrete sensors are placed at optimum locations around the workplace. Innovative Internet of Things (IoT) technology sends the data to the cloud. Clients have access to customized reports based on their requirements. Some prefer real-time data, while others use monthly reports to monitor and address air quality issues ensuring employee safety and providing peace of mind.
In every case, the cost-effective service allows building managers and asset owners to quantify an ‘S’-related activity as part of their overall ESG goals.
The benefits of indoor air quality monitoring extend beyond this purpose too. Many clients use the intelligence provided by our reports to optimise their use of energy-sapping ventilation systems, reducing emissions in a data-driven way. Or to optimise their heating and cooling systems, to the same effect. Others use the service to gain sustainability accreditation, such as RESET Air.
Organizations progress towards ESG-based operations, but challenges remain. The ‘Social’ aspect is difficult to quantify but will improve. Firms can act cost-effectively by monitoring workplace air quality during this ESG transition. All while keeping employees safe and well, and giving them enhanced peace of mind at work.