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ESG and school governance

What does the ESG movement  mean for schools? Students and teachers are surely among the most environmentally aware social groups in the world, and environmental education has long been a staple of the curriculum.  But, does the gathering momentum of the ESG movement offer a new opportunity to be taken on at another level – particularly when it comes to School Governance? If we examine school guiding statements, how many are really environmentally and socially driven? To what extent are decisions made in a way that reflects a wider set of responsibilities? With school Boards increasingly likely to be populated by members who are aware of, influenced by and motivated by ESG commitments, are we approaching a time when their views are about to be added to younger voices in a school community expressing wider environmental and social concerns?

If so, how might we see Board and Leadership debates widened? Perhaps to include issues of social and environmental  due diligence, or to prefer suppliers who abide by an ESG code of practice?  Transparency is a top talking point currently and with the business world waking up to the fact that we have to better ourselves, better our processes, to respect each and every part of our planet including its residents, wherever they live, these are surely school Board conversations whose time has come.

And the community will demand it – just as surely as those Royal Dutch Shell shareholders have. Teachers, parents and the children themselves will want to see that their school performs morally, ethically and consciously. Younger generations want to know their future is heading in the right direction and they now have the opportunity to be included in the journey.