This week’s reading time: 5 minutes

Welcome to another edition of The Green Executive Briefing. In under 10 minutes, you’ll be fully updated on the latest happenings in Sustainability and ESG every Tuesday at 8am EST. 🌎

We sift through a vast array of articles and data from trusted sources, distill the information, and present it to you in simple, bite-sized pieces every week. 🌍

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Topics For Today:

• ESG KPI Fundamentals: Places environmental, social, and governance metrics at the heart of impact reporting

• Comprehensive Coverage: Spans 25 likely material topics from environmental footprint to executive accountability

• Critical Metrics Focus: Addresses the surge in demand for standardized sustainability measurement

• Strategic Thinking: Covers impacts from baseline establishment through performance optimization

More Readings

1. ISO 14001:2015 Certified Pro Training 

🌟 Spotlight: Terralyn.ai, Sustainability Pros Create Impact, Not Reports

Sustainability professionals create impact, not reports.

If this is the case, then why are teams spending >50% of their time handling data and reporting demands to comply with every XYZ acronym framework?

Sustainability platforms can help streamline 80% of the work, but the 20% gap is widening.

Your day is probably shuffling between systems: Email ↔️ Data warehouses ↔️ Carbon accounting platform ↔️ Excel ↔️ Reporting platform

Excel… so much work to be done in Excel

This is where we come in: Terralyn is building the first AI sustainability analyst for corporate sustainability teams, automating end-to-end workflows for data collection, data quality, analytics, and reporting—completing tasks, like a teammate, in the background 24/7.

If you can write a workflow as a list of steps, Terralyn can automate it

Terralyn is opening a private beta program for sustainability professionals where our team of experts will integrate Terralyn’s agentic capabilities into your daily workflows. If you are interested in participating, we would love to hear from you!

Feel free to find some time on my calendar link: https://calendly.com/terralyn/meeting-with-mason-at-terralyn
 
Mason Corliss
Founder, Terralyn

Want to get featured in the spotlight? Reply to this email: [email protected]

Small Budget, Big Impact: Outsmart Your Larger Competitors

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• Proven techniques for standing out in crowded markets without massive budgets

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• Real-world examples of small teams creating outsized market impact

Ready to level the playing field? Download now to discover the exact frameworks these brands used to compete and win.

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🌟 Spotlight: The Sustainable Storytelling Sprint by Solarpunk Studio

Your sustainability work deserves so much more than a checkbox—it deserves a narrative that builds trust, secures buy-in, and sparks real momentum.

The Sustainable Storytelling Sprint™ from Solarpunk Studio is a two-day immersive workshop and content creation experience designed for sustainability, ESG, and communications teams. Solarpunk Studio helps mid-sized to enterprise-level organizations translate their internal initiatives into audience-ready narratives—aligned with ESG frameworks and stakeholder priorities.

✔️Align your messaging with carbon, waste, and equity goals
✔️Train your team in visual and strategic storytelling
✔️Walk away with six months of premium, ready-to-use video and content assets

Whether you’re preparing for a report, campaign, or executive briefing, we’ll help you showcase progress with clarity and credibility.

Book a discovery call and mention the special discount for Green Executive Briefing subscribers: https://app.hellobonsai.com/s/solarpunk-studio/discovery

Want to get featured in the spotlight? Reply to this email: [email protected]

Intro

🌍 Why ESG KPIs Are Your North Star in 2025

In today's business landscape, sustainability isn't just a buzzword—it's a business imperative. Whether you're reporting to stakeholders, securing ESG-focused investment, or simply wanting to track your organization's impact, having the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is essential.

The challenge? With dozens of potential metrics across environmental, social, and governance categories, knowing where to focus can feel overwhelming. That's where this comprehensive cheat sheet comes in.

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📌Environmental KPIs: Measuring Your Planet Impact

Carbon & Climate Action

The foundation of any environmental strategy starts with understanding your carbon footprint:

• Total GHG Emissions: Track scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions reported annually

• Emission Reduction Progress: Measure year-over-year emissions compared to baseline

• Carbon Intensity: Calculate GHG emissions per unit of production or revenue

Energy & Efficiency

Energy management directly impacts both costs and environmental outcomes:

• Total Energy Consumption: Monitor energy use across all operations

• Renewable Energy Share: Track percentage of energy sourced from renewables

• Energy Efficiency Improvements: Measure reduction in consumption year-over-year

Water Stewardship

With water scarcity affecting 40% of the global population, these metrics are increasingly critical:

• Total Water Usage: Volume of water withdrawn annually

• Water Efficiency: Water use per unit of production or revenue

• Water Recycling Rate: Percentage of water recycled or reused

Waste & Circular Economy

Transform waste from liability to opportunity:

• Total Waste Generated: Volume produced annually

• Waste Diversion Rate: Percentage diverted from landfills

• Hazardous Waste Management: Volume of hazardous waste safely disposed

Biodiversity & Land Use

Protecting natural ecosystems is becoming a regulatory requirement:

• Land Area Preserved: Total hectares conserved or restored

• Biodiversity Initiatives: Number of active conservation projects

• Operations in Sensitive Areas: Percentage of sites with mitigation plans

👥 Social KPIs: People-First Performance

Employee Experience

Your workforce is your greatest asset—measure accordingly:

• Employee Turnover Rate: Track voluntary departures annually

• Employee Satisfaction: Results from regular engagement surveys

• Training & Development: Average hours per employee annually

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

Building inclusive organizations requires intentional measurement:

• Gender Representation: Percentage of women in leadership roles

• Pay Equity: Measure compensation gaps across demographics

• Workforce Diversity: Representation across various demographics

Health, Safety & Well-being

Protecting employee welfare is both ethical and economical:

• Injury Rate: Workplace injuries per 200,000 hours

• Safety Training Completion: Percentage completing required training

• Occupational Health Monitoring: Health-related incidents reported

Community Impact

Extend your positive influence beyond company walls:

• Community Investment: Financial contributions or volunteer hours

• Local Hiring Practices: Percentage of new hires sourced locally

• Stakeholder Engagement: Number of community meetings held

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⚖️ Governance KPIs: Building Trust Through Transparency

Board Excellence

Strong governance starts at the top:

• Board Independence: Percentage of independent directors

• ESG Oversight: Evidence of board-level ESG committee

• Board Diversity: Representation across gender and demographics

Executive Accountability

Align leadership incentives with ESG outcomes:

• ESG-Linked Compensation: Percentage tied to ESG performance

• CEO Compensation Ratio: Multiple of median employee pay

• Performance-Based Incentives: Percentage linked to strategic goals

Ethics & Compliance

Maintain the highest standards of business conduct:

• Code of Conduct Training: Percentage completing annual training

• Anti-Corruption Cases: Number of confirmed incidents annually

• Whistleblower System Use: Number of reports received and resolved

Risk Management

Proactive risk identification and mitigation:

• Business Continuity Plans: Percentage of critical sites with updated plans

• Risk Mitigation: Percentage of identified risks with strategies

• Cybersecurity Audits: Number of annual audits conducted

Transparency & Reporting

Open communication builds stakeholder trust:

• ESG Disclosure Frequency: Number of public reports released annually

• ESG Rating Performance: Average score improvement in ratings

• Stakeholder Grievance Resolution: Average resolution time for complaints

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📌 🎯 Putting It All Together: Your ESG KPI Action Plan

Start Small, Think Big

Don't try to track everything at once. Begin with 3-5 KPIs in each category that align with your biggest risks and opportunities.

Benchmark and Set Targets

Research industry standards and set ambitious but achievable targets. Remember: what gets measured gets managed.

Regular Review and Refinement

ESG metrics should evolve with your business and stakeholder expectations. Schedule quarterly reviews to assess relevance and accuracy.

Technology is Your Friend

Invest in ESG data management platforms to automate collection and ensure data quality. Manual tracking doesn't scale.

WRAPPING UP

🔮 CLOSING THOUGHT: The Bottom Line

ESG KPIs aren't just compliance checkboxes—they're strategic tools that drive real business value. Companies with strong ESG performance see 4.7x higher operating margins and 2.8x higher revenue growth compared to peers.

The businesses that will thrive in the coming decade are those that can measure, manage, and communicate their impact effectively. Use this cheat sheet as your roadmap to sustainability success.

P.S. When you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:

1. Download our Dashboard GHG Accounting Scope 1, 2 & 3. Customize it with your organization's numbers to build a compelling business case.

2. Refer 2 other sustainability leader (see “Click to Share” button below)

3. Book a Consultation: Click HERE

   1. GHG Accounting Strategies (Scope 1, 2 & 3) 

   2. ISO 14001 Compliance (Environmental Management)