Heightened emphasis on transparency and accountability through corporate governance and disclosure has renewed the focus on the ‘triple bottom line’—environmental, social and economic impacts. Environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) reporting generally measures the sustainability and ethical performance of a company. There is increasing interest in the ESG performance of companies by various stakeholders. A range of mechanisms exist to shape CSR and foment voluntary reporting by companies on their ESG performance. Adhering to one such framework heightens credibility, and a proactive approach to sustainability presents opportunities while ensuring a company’s preparedness to embrace evolving legal requirements.

In the US, land owners are liable for environmental impacts in relation to contaminated land. This Lexis Practice Advisor practice note explains what due diligence should be carried out in relation to the purchase of land/buildings to assess the environmental risk. Environmental due diligence advances SDG 3.9 to substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination, and generally supports SDG 11 Sustainable cities and SDG 15 Life on land.