Post: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) at GridBeyond: Q&A With Laura Leonard

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) at GridBeyond: Q&A With Laura Leonard

At GridBeyond, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is integral to how we operate, innovate, and lead in the energy sector. To dive deeper into our ESG journey, we spoke with Laura Leonard, GridBeyond’s Market Manager Ireland, about the importance of ESG, the progress we’ve made, and what is to come as we look to 2025 and beyond. 

For those who might not be up to speed with our ESG initiative, can you provide an overview of the GridBeyond ESG strategy?

ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance, which is a framework that helps organisations operate in a way that’s ethical, sustainable, and socially responsible – guiding businesses toward long-term value creation. At GridBeyond, ESG is at the heart of how we operate responsibly and sustainably.  

On the environmental side, it’s about understanding and managing how our operations impact the planet. We look closely at areas like greenhouse gas emissions, water use, waste, and biodiversity. Beyond that, we assess climate-related risks and actively work on improving wherever we can. For us, it’s not just about compliance; it’s about leading by example in the energy industry. 

The social aspect is all about people and the communities we engage with. By focusing on social responsibility, we’re creating a workplace that attracts and retains engaged, motivated employees. At the same time, it’s about demonstrating to the market and our stakeholders that we’re committed to minimising social risks and operating ethically. 

For us, Governance is about strong decision-making processes, transparency, and oversight. This includes everything from how our board operates to cybersecurity and ethical reporting. Good governance helps us avoid risks and seize opportunities, making sure we stay resilient and trusted in the industry. 

Ultimately, we don’t want ESG to be just a framework for us but to keep us on track and accountable for making a positive impact while building a sustainable business!  

Can you tell us a bit more about the targets for ESG at GridBeyond?

Our ESG targets are designed to drive meaningful progress across the Environmental, Social, and Governance pillars, aligning with our broader commitment to sustainability and responsibility. We can break these down into three…  

For our Environmental targets, we’re actively working on carbon reporting by engaging ESG consultants to assess our Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions in order to have a comprehensive report completed. Additionally, we’re pioneering what we call “Scope 4” emissions by developing a mechanism to calculate the carbon emissions avoided annually through our customers’ use of flexible assets. This innovation will demonstrate the tangible climate benefits of our technology and services. 

For our Social targets we’re looking at our EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) strategy which has been a key focus for us in 2024, having achieved the Bronze Accreditation with D&I Ireland. This involves updating critical policies, including whistleblowing, recruitment, ethics, and anti-bullying and harassment. We have also completed a Gender Pay Gap Analysis this year, providing valuable insights into ensuring equity within our workforce. 

From a governance perspective, we will be completing a Delegation of Authority Matrix to enhance clarity and decision-making within the company. Once our ESG strategy is ready, we’ll be sharing it across the organisation. These targets reflect our commitment to embedding ESG principles into everything we do, driving both internal improvements and broader impact across our industry. 

How do we engage employees in achieving our environmental goals, such as reducing carbon emissions or improving energy efficiency?

Our employees will play a huge part to the success of our environmental goals, including reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency. To engage our teams, we focus on creating a culture of shared responsibility and collaboration. 

We want to raise awareness through regular communications in our townhall and solar sessions, and internal communications to explain our ESG strategy and what steps we’re taking. We have a great community at GridBeyond of green-minded people who are in their own lives passionate about sustainability and driving positive change for our environment so we’re confident that people will want to get involved where they can. By integrating environmental goals into daily operations and making them a part of our workplace culture, we empower everyone to contribute to a greener future. Keep an eye out in 2025 for more on how we can all get involved and work together towards this goal!  

What are the next steps in advancing our ESG agenda?

As part of our ongoing agenda, we recently rolled out a company-wide Carbon Emission Survey facilitated by our carbon reporting partner Greenly. The  survey outcome will help provide a vital step in forming our ESG strategy. By collecting and understanding our carbon emissions data, we can take targeted actions to reduce our environmental impact and continue to be a leader in sustainable business practices. Our employees participation is crucial in helping us reach these goals and we really appreciate all the responses we had! From here, we will begin our Annual Report for early 2025.

Want to be part of our team? Find out more and check out our careers here.

8 July 2024

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at GridBeyond: Q&A With Laura Merriman

GridBeyond’s Global Head of Human Resources, Laura Merriman talks all things DEI and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s to come.

Learn more