Corporate finance firm sets ESG targets
Clearwater International has set itself a series of KPIs designed to boost diversity, reduce its carbon footprint, and widen social impact as part of its new ESG strategy.
Its targets include doubling the proportion of female partners from 6% to 12% by 2026, ensuring 45% female representation in roles of associate director and below. At the same time it aims to increase its ethnic minority representation from 9% to 14%.
It also aims to earmark 3% of profits for a philanthropy budget, and assign 100 volunteering days that should involve three-quarters of its team., and reduce its carbon footprint by 50% by 2032.
It will also offer all clients and ESG health check as part of its services.
Richard Goldsack, the firm’s partner for Yorkshire, said, “We are continuing to see ESG arise in our conversations with clients in the region, which only reaffirms how important it is for the deal making community.
“Increasingly, financial sponsors are assessing opportunities through an ESG lens as reporting requirements and regulation becomes more focused and standardised. Across our region, businesses in every vertical are doing great work to benefit our community and our environment generating recognition from investors increasingly focusing on these areas.”
Jo Daley, appointed as Clearwater’s director – head of impact in May 2022, said, “Our ESG and impact strategy is grounded in the UN Sustainable Development Goals so that our actions are in sync with the global efforts to combat inequality and climate change.
“The strategy is a result of research with key stakeholders in the business and clients alike driven by a core committee. For our business we need to push further than net-zero targets to ones that make an impactful difference to the world we operate in and that of the next generation.”
Mark Taylor, the firm’s UK chief executive, said, “The ESG landscape is complex and our position in the ecosystem is such that we have the opportunity to make a measurable difference to our client’s businesses, people and environment. ESG has been a priority for our business for some time and is increasingly a value-driver for our clients.”
