Brussels trade associations and ESG
Not yet fit for ESG
Stakeholder capitalism, ESG, sustainability. There are all terms describing basically the same thing and they have all become politically charged. Yet the ever-evolving regulatory context means that there is no choice other than compliance.
Some regulations are feared. Remember the discussions around the introduction of GDPR a few years ago? Some regulations can have huge financial impact on industries and at the same time create new markets. ETS is a good example. And some regulations, such as CBAM, can redefine global competitiveness and trade.
We now have the CSRD. This puts significant pressure on businesses. They are also under pressure from consumers, who put more trust in brands that are regarded highly for their ESG commitments.
In this context, what is the role of trade associations? How do they integrate ESG and sustainability into their own strategies and public affairs approaches, both to ensure they are compliant and to help their members improve their ESG performance? We studied a sample of over 70 Brussels-based associations and assessed them according to our maturity model.
The findings show that everyone does something. However, only one of the associations we examined comes close to doing enough. How can organisations navigate this challenging landscape and what are the real opportunities?
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Lukasz Bochenek
Managing Director / Deputy CEO, based in Geneva
Lukasz is Managing Director for Switzerland, Belgium and UK offices as well as deputy CEO for Leidar. He oversees key international client projects and relationships. In addition, he manages external partnerships and memberships of Leidar.