Our Case Studies: Finance Industry
ESG INTEGRATION INTO RI STRATEGY & REPORTING
Venture Capital
ESG INTEGRATION: MATERIALITY AND STRATEGY
Finance - Technology R&D Funding
ESG DUE DILIGENCE
Private Equity - General Partner
GHG Standard Reporting for Portfolio Companies
Venture Capital
GHG Inventory & Carbon Accounting Software Integration
Private Equity
ESG Integration into RI Strategy & Reporting
Venture Capital
Background & Objective:
The Client sought to enhance their Responsible Investment (RI) strategy and hired CHS to integrate ESG considerations into their investment process. We began with a foundational review of ESG principles, aligning with industry standards and frameworks. This groundwork was supported by a materiality assessment. The results then guided the RI process and provided direction for data collection, leading to the completion of the RI and Impact reports.
Solution:
- ILPA Assessment Framework
- Materiality Assessment
- Due Diligence and Annual Questionnaire Revamp
- ESG Data Collection and Software Integration
- RI Report with ESG Metrics
Key Take-away:
As a thesis-driven and impact-focused investor, the Client was able to build a robust RI strategy that focuses on ESG topics that are material for its portfolio companies and stakeholders. Those values are reflected through its investments as they embed ESG considerations throughout their investment process. Their recent RI revamp work paved the way for industry standards alignment (ISSB, PRI, SFDR).
- 80%+ of portfolio companies completed ESG assessment
- Full, aligned, aggregate reporting within 1 quarter from launch
ESG Integration: Materiality and Strategy
Finance – Technology R&D Funding
Background & Objective:
The Client has given itself the mission of identifying and integrating best practices in the management of ESG issues into its activities, in order to adhere to the latest imperatives of its stakeholders, society and the environment, and the company has assigned internal resources to ensure progress and deployment
Solution:
To ensure ESG efforts are both strategic and effective, the team has committed to a structured, phased approach. The process begins with a diagnosis of the current state, leveraging internal assessments and stakeholder input to map existing ESG initiatives, gaps, and opportunities. This is followed by a materiality assessment, identifying the most relevant ESG issues based on both internal priorities and external expectations.
Building on these insights, CHS facilitates a co-creation process with internal teams to develop a tailored ESG action plan. This plan includes:
- Data & Management Systems: Strengthening ESG data collection, integration, and analysis.
- Governance: Defining roles, responsibilities, and decision-making structures.
- Initiatives & Performance: Implementing targeted ESG actions and tracking progress.
- Awareness & Engagement: Building internal capacity and fostering stakeholder participation.
- ESG Reporting: Aligning disclosures with industry standards for transparency.
By embedding ESG into both operations and program design, this approach ensures that the Client is not only compliant with stakeholder expectations but also positioned as a leader in sustainable innovation.
Key Take-away:
A methodology and action plan to integrate ESG topics for its operations as well as its programs; materiality, governance, KPIs, data infrastructure, initiatives and deployment
- Clear ESG integration action plan
- Team awareness and commitment to ESG deployment
- 75% less time to deploy
- No additional resources required
ESG Due Diligence
Private Equity
General Partner
Background & Objective:
The Client wishes to integrate best practices in ESG management into their investment process for their funds and portfolio entities, in order to adhere to the requirements of their investors (LPs) and other stakeholders, the broader society and the environment, and to address sustainability risks.
Solution:
Comprehensive ESG Due Diligence
CHS conducted a thorough ESG due diligence assessment for the client’s investment opportunity, identifying key sustainability risks, opportunities, and actionable recommendations to mitigate risks while creating value. This process evaluated the target company’s operations against best practices in ESG management, with a focus on compliance with investor (LP) requirements, societal expectations, and environmental standards. The due diligence also assessed the awareness and commitment of the target company’s management team, ensuring alignment with the client’s long-term sustainability goals. The result was a detailed roadmap highlighting priority actions that were both practical and impactful, enabling the client to integrate ESG considerations seamlessly into their investment strategy.Targeted ESG Training for Associates and In-House Teams
To reinforce the integration of ESG best practices, CHS provided tailored training sessions for the client’s associates and in-house team members. These sessions equipped participants with the tools and knowledge needed to evaluate ESG factors effectively, identify risks and opportunities in future investment opportunities, and foster a culture of sustainability within the organization.
Key Take-away:
Through a combination of rigorous ESG due diligence and targeted training, CHS delivered a roadmap that identified the main risks, opportunities, and actions necessary to limit risks and generate value. This approach also fostered awareness and commitment among both the target company’s management team and the client’s internal teams, ensuring a shared understanding of ESG priorities. The results empowered the organization to implement tangible, achievable improvements at their own pace, demonstrating a strong commitment to addressing sustainability risks and integrating ESG into their investment processes.
- 40+ R&O on 16 ESG topics
- Actions to generate value (for the portfolio company)
- Initiatives to reduce risk in investment decisions (for GP)
Net Zero Roadmap & GHG Inventory Report
Retail Investors Focused Fintech Company
Finance
Background & Objective:
In order to set the foundation and focus the client`s efforts, CHS was mandated to create its Net Zero roadmap, support the measurement of its baseline GHG emissions inventory according to the GHG protocol standard, identify reduction initiatives, generate a report, identify recognition options and provide recommendations for associated internal and external communications.
Results:
- We created a Net Zero roadmap and provided high level explanation and guidance with actions and timeline for each step. For their baseline GHG emissions inventory, we solidified the scope, consolidation approach, identified data types and data gaps, supported the team on data collection and estimations where necessary, identified emission factors and performed the conversion to GHG emissions.
- Given the nature of the client’s operations, its inventory measurement efforts were predominantly on Scope 3, including some estimates related to its cryptocurrency activities. We structured and wrote the data collection and estimation processes, created a tailored calculation tool and trained the internal team on its usage and maintenance in order for the client to become autonomous for future measurement and reporting.
Key Take-away:
This work enabled the client to understand the components of GHG emissions measurements and reporting, gain internal expertise and tools to handle and improve on future calculations, and methods to engage their entire staff in contributing to their Net Zero journey in pragmatic ways.
GHG Standard Reporting for Portfolio Companies
Venture Capital
Background & Objective:
The Client launched a climate strategy, which includes a series of commitments to reduce their own greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and support their portfolio companies with their own footprint and climate goals. CHS was brought in to provide validation on historical data, guidance and support on GHG emissions inventory methodology & process and establish a solid framework for measurement and reporting.
Results:
Delivering results at scale considering people, processes and platform:
- Engagement: Comprehensive Training and Tailored Content
CHS delivered interactive workshops to build the capacity of the client’s internal team, focusing on GHG emissions fundamentals, data collection, and reporting practices. To extend the impact across the ecosystem, a tailored playbook for portfolio companies was developed, serving as a comprehensive guide to streamline scope definition, data collection processes, and standardized methodologies. The playbook also enabled portfolio companies to adopt a consistent framework for GHG measurement, empowering them to align with the client’s sustainability goals while fostering benchmarking and best practices.
- Standards & Calculations: Establishing Audit-Ready Outcomes
CHS validated historical GHG data to ensure accuracy, consistency, and alignment with the GHG Protocol. Methodologies for emissions measurement and reporting were standardized, ensuring audit readiness and compliance with evolving regulations. A robust governance structure was established to maintain data integrity and ensure ongoing updates aligned with best practices.
- Dashboards: Providing Decision-Useful Data
CHS ensured that the GHG emissions data was prepared in a format ready for integration into the client’s chosen platform. Data aggregation, analysis, and visualization frameworks were designed to align seamlessly with the platform’s capabilities. While the platform had not been implemented at the time, this approach provided a solid foundation for future integration, enabling real-time tracking of progress against climate targets and facilitating data-driven decision-making once operational.
Key Take-away:
The Client is taking steps to becoming best-in-class on Climate in its industry by having a solid foundation for GHG inventory moving forward. Additionally, a Playbook was built for their portcos as an GHG integration guide that clarifies the scope, data collection process & methodology. This Playbook allows the portcos to have a opportunity to utilize a platform for standardize GHG measurements.
GHG Inventory & Carbon Accounting Software Integration
Private Equity
Background & Objective:
The Client, a family of brands in the Private Equity sector, has pledged to significantly reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions and work toward achieving climate neutrality. Meeting these ambitious goals necessitates a robust system to effectively measure, manage, and report GHG emissions across the organization.
Results:
Processes Aligned with the Client’s Resources, Business Model, and Operations: The integration process was tailored to fit the Client’s specific operational and business needs. This included:
- Mapping emissions data sources across all brands in the portfolio to identify gaps and streamline data collection.
- Developing workflows that aligned with existing organizational structures, minimizing disruptions while ensuring efficiency.
- Customizing data management processes to reflect the operational diversity of the Client’s portfolio companies, ensuring uniform application despite varied business models.
Expertise Provided for Accurate, Audit-Ready GHG Data Input Across the Organization: Expert guidance ensured that the Client was equipped to manage GHG data accurately and confidently. Key aspects included:
- Providing support sessions for key personnel on emissions reporting standards.
- Establishing a framework for data validation, reducing errors and ensuring the reliability of emissions data.
- Offering ongoing technical and strategic support to address complex challenges and ensure audit readiness across the organization and portfolio.
Integration Onto the Breeze Platform to Streamline Emissions Data Management: Breeze was implemented as the central platform to unify emissions data capture, management, and reporting. Specific enhancements included:
- Centralized Reporting: Consolidating emissions data into a single source of truth, enabling consistent reporting at the corporate and portfolio levels.
- Streamlined Collaboration and Transparency: Simplifying data collection processes, enhancing collaboration among teams across various regions, and simplifying efforts for emission reductions and greater transparency.
- Scalability: Future-proofing the platform to handle growth in the portfolio, accommodating additional brands and operations without extensive reconfiguration.
Key Take-away:
By leveraging the Breeze platform, the Client simplified emissions data capture and reporting, building a foundation for actionable insights and for enhanced transparency at both business and portfolio levels. Moreover, this empowers the Client to drive lasting change by enabling them to identify and scale effective strategies for reducing CO2 emissions while generating returns.
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