A short ESG policy template that puts environmental, social and governance commitments in one place, with a monitoring and review section.

Effective Policy Templates

This policy template is supplied in fully editable MS Word format and can be easily customised and edited. The document uses pre-defined style formatting throughout, with all text in Calibri font for improved readability.
The following document labelling is included in the footer:

• Policy number and title
• Information-classification
• Version
• Page number / total pages

alphaZ documents - beautifully designed, tried and tested policy templates. No junk, jargon or unnecessary content. Simple and usable policy templates developed over 25 years through practical use in the real world.

Further Reading

Further guidance on ESG and sustainability:

• Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
• Sustainable Procurement
• Carbon Management and Net Zero
• Environmental Management knowledge base

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Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Policy Template

A short, publicly shareable policy statement setting out your organisation's environmental, social and governance commitments, and how progress against them is monitored and reviewed.

ESG commitments are often asked for in tenders, pre-qualification questionnaires and customer supply chain assessments. This policy puts them in one statement that can be shared with clients, workers, suppliers and other stakeholders.

What the ESG Policy Covers

• Environmental - commitments on areas such as emissions and energy efficiency, use of natural resources, waste and recycling, and pollution
• Social - an inclusive workplace, safe and healthy working conditions, human rights, fair labour practices, and engagement with stakeholders and local communities
• Governance - integrity and transparency, legal compliance, preventing bribery and corruption, risk management and internal controls, and privacy
• Monitoring and review - objectives set for ESG performance, progress monitored, and the policy reviewed at management review
• Approved By and Date Approved

Who Needs an ESG Policy?

Organisations responding to tenders, pre-qualification schemes such as the Common Assessment Standard, and customer questionnaires that ask about ESG, and any business that wants its commitments set out in one short statement. Our Common Assessment Standard Guidance covers the wider question set.

ESG or Corporate Social Responsibility?

Choose the policy that matches the wording your clients and schemes use:

• P-126 Environmental, Social and Governance Policy - commitments set out under environmental, social and governance headings
• P-8 Corporate Social Responsibility Policy - the same ground framed as corporate social responsibility

For more detail on the environmental side, the P-53 Sustainability Policy and P-110 Net Zero Policy can sit alongside either.

Making the Policy Your Own

The commitments are written to suit most organisations. Adjust them to what you actually do: an office-based business may focus on energy, travel and waste, while a manufacturer or contractor may have more to say about emissions, materials and pollution. Keep it short, because the policy states the commitments, and the detail of how they are delivered sits in your objectives, registers and procedures.

Setting ESG Objectives

The policy commits to setting objectives for environmental, social and governance performance and monitoring progress against them. Objectives such as reducing energy use, strengthening supplier checks or increasing training can be recorded and tracked with your other company objectives, for example on the F-IMS40 Opportunities and Objectives Register, and reviewed at management review together with the policy itself.