Sustainability risk arises from an uncertain social or environmental event or condition that, if it occurs, could have a material adverse effect on the company. At the same time, these changes and uncertainties can create opportunities. Risks and opportunities create the pressure points that prompt boards/management teams to develop and invest in sustainability strategies. Adopting a sustainable approach not only demonstrates resilience and long-term value creation for the business, but is also a source of competitive advantage.
Failure to address climate change and its consequences, including extreme weather events, environmental damage and loss of biodiversity, is widely recognised as the most urgent potential systemic risk, leading to an unprecedented focus by companies and investors.
There are three main climate-related risks to business:
There are also climate-related business opportunities in resource efficiency, energy sources, products and services, markets and resilience.
Follow these three initial steps to identify the specific and material risks/opportunities for your business:
STEP 1: Create a sustainability profile
- From the list of industry-specific sustainability issues, identify the list of risks that have a material impact on the business and specify the list of opportunities that have the potential to capture the market and/or create value for the business.
- Do the same with the list of stakeholder engagement and analysis topics derived from your materiality assessment.
STEP 2: Characterise these issues based on internal operations, and external operating environment.
- Internal operations: a) key revenue streams and b) key inputs to value creation.
- External operating environment: a) Geographical footprint b) Business climate c) Regulatory climate d) Political climate e) Economic climate
STEP 3: Define time horizons
The timing of the risks and opportunities may exceed the typical short-term horizon although preparation for these risks takes time and should start now. Therefore companies should assess the risks and opportunities in short-, medium- and long term, as relevant.
+ 1.1 °C
average temperature rise in Singapore between 1980 and 2020
(NCCS)
+67 mm rainfall
per decade in Singapore betwen 1980 and 2019
(NCCS)
The TCFD is the world's most influential disclosure framework and provides a climate risk classification. Here is their Climate Risk and Opportunity Classification.
In Singapore in particular, companies are exposed to significant physical risks. Here is a list of them.
South Pole has been at the forefront of decarbonization since 2006, developing and implementing comprehensive strategies that turn climate action into long-term business opportunities for Fortune 500 companies, governments and organizations around the world.
South Pole is more than a consultancy, its team of 1,200+ experts have developed projects, as well as designed innovative tools across finance, climate neutral APIs, and carbon offset solutions to help clients reach their carbon mitigation and Net Zero goals.
To date South Pole has worked with over 1,000 clients, and will soon have developed 800 offset projects across 30 offices globally.
Our solutions have created tens of thousands of jobs in developing countries, hundreds of millions of dollars for business, improved brand value and better living and working conditions for countless people in vulnerable communities around the world.
SustainableSG was started in September 2018 to accompany companies, non-profit entities and government agencies to review and implement effective and sustainable corporate strategies. Our services include:
Sustainao supports companies in their sustainability journey by building an impactful strategy, embedding sustainable practices across operations, and reporting performance to stakeholders.
Our sustainability consulting services are designed in a continuous improvement process:
.png)
ACTIVATE - DESIGN - ACCELERATE. Our expert consulting services and trainings help business leaders understand the complexities of sustainability, consider climate- and nature-related risks and opportunities to make informed decisions and alleviate the administrative burdens of:
We work directly with SMEs or collaborate with other sustainability consulting companies on specific projects. We are actively involved in networks of sustainability professionals who share knowledge with public and educate other professionals to bring awareness and accelerate the transition in Singapore and worldwide (incl. The Matcha Initiative, Climate Fresk, etc.).
Our unique strength stems from understanding sustainability from the risk management perspective, creating a business case and using financial reasoning to adopt sustainable business practices and decarbonize.
At Tulyā, we are accredited sustainability consultants holding certifications in GRI, SASB and TCFD (now IFRS-ISSB), and ISO 14064 GHG Lead Verifiers, alongside being Singapore Certified Management Consultants. We are dedicated to driving sustainable business development across industries through Sustainable Management Accounting.
We help MNCs with:
We help SMEs with:
Walk The Talk is a boutique consultancy working with businesses, financial institutions (agnostic of sector and size) and multi-stakeholder organisations to deploy circular business models, create and manage impact and contribute to a regenerative economy.
We support organisations across the sustainability, impact and climate action lifecycle from ideation to execution and offer services related to: ESG & Financial Advisory, Impact and Value Creation, Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting, and Systems Convening.
