From obligation to advantage: ESG as Global strategy

At GIA, we speak with founders and executives looking to scale across borders. One trend we see gaining real traction is the shift in how companies think about ESG. 

Once viewed as a compliance box to tick, environmental, social, and governance frameworks are now becoming central to business strategy.

ESG - Environmental, Social, and Governance is a framework used to assess how a company performs in areas beyond just financial returns. 

• Environmental: How a company manages its impact on the planet (e.g. carbon emissions, energy use, waste management, sustainability).

• Social: How it treats people (e.g. employee wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, human rights, community impact).

• Governance: How it is run (e.g. leadership ethics, board diversity, executive pay, transparency, compliance).

The landscape is changing fast. New EU disclosure rules, investor pressure, and public expectations are raising the bar. But the companies gaining ground are not the ones doing the bare minimum. They are the ones turning ESG into a competitive advantage.

This shift focuses on risk mitigation and aligning values and long-term growth. We have seen members build greener supply chains that unlock access to better financing. Others are using social impact metrics to attract and retain talent. Some are weaving governance into culture, reducing the need for costly course corrections later.

The key is to stop treating ESG as an isolated department. The most successful organisations integrate it into everything from procurement to product development. They measure what matters. They take local context seriously.

For global businesses, this is no longer optional. Embedding ESG into your strategy signals readiness. It attracts the right partners. And it builds a foundation of trust that travels well across markets.