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Corporate ESG Strategy and Stewardship

Battery Raw Materials

Trusted ESG advice for Boardrooms

SFA (Oxford) works closely with multi-commodity value chain players to understand how materially significant environmental, social and governance issues can be integrated into their wider company strategy. Understanding the long-term implications of ESG criteria for our clients is critical in mitigating the regulatory, technological and licence to operate risks. As global investment trends increasingly push companies to re-evaluate their ESG strategies, let SFA help you to remain competitive and capitalise on the rapid growth of sustainable market funds, as investors and regulators demand greater levels of transparency and reporting to meet intergovernmental climate change and decarbonisation goals. 

Enhancing outperformance with ESG

Analysis of company outperformance due to ESG factors reveals an alternative solution to unlocking the future value to help receive preferential green finance rates. The risk of companies not improving their ESG credentials is value destruction, in addition to missing out on the potential upsides. Additionally, rigorous, academic studies have demonstrated the outperformance of companies who successfully integrate their sector-specific material environmental, social and governance risks into thoughtful company strategy.

However, not all spending on sustainable initiatives is the same. Some initiatives produce material, value-adding impacts whilst others create little value or, at worst, simply raise operational costs. The core factor determining whether ESG initiatives drive company outperformance is the initiative materiality to a specific sustainability issue. Companies with good ratings on material sustainability issues significantly outperform those with poor rankings on these issues.

At a local level, countries have subscribed to numerous international initiatives such as the UN Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. As a heavy industry, mining and natural resource management play a key role in attaining these national goals, and so, the sector is under increased scrutiny to play its role in providing the critical metals which are key to a sustainable and green future. Studies have also shown that company performance from ESG initiatives can be predicted by public information, and from the information reported in company sustainability reports, interviews and surveys within organisations.

Below shows a range of ESG issues we currently monitor to assist corporate strategies.

 

Environmental factors

  • Energy use (electricity and fuel).

  • Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions.

  • Water use and recycling rates.

  • Rock waste and tailings impact.

  • Nitrous and sulphur dioxide emissions.

 

Social factors

  • Health and safety.

  • Labour diversity.

  • Labour efficiencies.

  • Community impacts.

  • Supply chain practices.

 

Governance factors

  • Business ethics.

  • Company structure.

  • Leadership diversity.

  • Industry associations.

  • Risk management.

  • Transparency and compliance.

 

Case studies

Let us augment your ESG strategy

Contact one of our team for more details.

Henk de Hoop

Chief Executive Officer

Beresford Clarke

Managing Director: Technical & Research

Dr Jenny Watts

Head of Clean Energy & Sustainability

Jamie Underwood

Principal Consultant

Adele Rouleau

ESG and Critical Minerals Lead

Daniel Croft

Commodity Analyst

Lakshya Gupta

Senior Market Analyst: Battery Materials and Technologies

Dr Ralph Grimble

Operations Director

Thomas Chandler

Principal Lithium Supply Analyst

Rj Coetzee

Senior Market Analyst: Battery Materials and Technologies

Alex Biddle

Senior Mining Analyst

Dr Fahad Aljahdali

General Manager, KSA

Jeremy Coombes

Independent Consultant

David Mobbs

Head of Marketing

Joel Lacey

Sales and Marketing Specialist

Other consulting solutions

Explore other services our clients use regularly.

How can we help you?

SFA (Oxford) provides bespoke, independent intelligence on the strategic metal markets, specifically tailored to your needs. To find out more about what we can offer you, please contact us.

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