“We’re starting from absolute zero”.

We hear this in almost every conversation with UK business leaders. It’s the first thing they say. It’s also almost always wrong.

A recent Capital Group survey found that 53% of companies cite data reliability as their biggest ESG challenge. But here’s the thing: the data isn’t missing. It’s just scattered across your business, sitting in spreadsheets and filing cabinets, waiting to be organised.

You are almost certainly already doing more on ESG than you realise. The work exists. It’s happening right now. It just hasn’t been labelled ‘ESG’ yet.

The “Starting from Zero” Myth: A Real Example

We worked with a UK SME whose managing director was adamant they had zero ESG activity. 

“We’re just a small business,” he said. “We don’t do any of this sustainability stuff.”

We did a quick audit. 

Here’s what we found:

• Finance had years of utility bills (emissions baseline ✓)
• Operations had health & safety data (social metrics ✓)
• HR had gender pay gap data (D&I metrics ✓)
• Compliance had a partial Modern Slavery Act audit (governance ✓)

None of it was labelled ‘ESG.’ All of it was ESG work.

Result: They were 35% complete before we even started.

The managing director was shocked. You probably will be too.

Do you want to uncover your hidden ESG work?

Our “ESG Unfiltered” microlearning course walks you through the assessment process in just 20 minutes of video. 

Jump to the ‘Assess’ Module

Your ESG Treasure Hunt: Where to Look

Your data isn’t in some complex software. It’s in the systems you already use. 

Here’s where to dig:

Finance Department

Your finance team is sitting on a goldmine. 

Look for:

• Utility bills = energy consumption data
• Fuel expenses & mileage claims = transport emissions
• Waste disposal costs = waste metrics

That’s your environmental baseline right there.

Operations

This is where your health & safety and environmental work lives:

• H&S records, accident reports, near-misses = social metrics
• Environmental permits = proof of compliance
• Equipment maintenance logs = energy efficiency initiatives

Human Resources

The ‘Social’ in ESG is all about people:

• Diversity stats, retention rates, turnover data = talent metrics
• Training hours, development programmes = employee investment
• Engagement surveys, mental health programmes, and wellbeing initiatives = culture metrics

Compliance & Procurement

Your governance and supply chain work:

• Codes of conduct, anti-bribery policies = governance
• Supplier questionnaires, scorecards = supply chain oversight
• Modern Slavery Act audits = labour standards (required if turnover >£36

The Five-Theme Framework (Beyond Basic ESG)

Most businesses use ESG. We use five interconnected themes that tell a fuller story:

• Climate – Carbon emissions, energy use, transition planning, climate resilience.
• Diversity & Inclusion – Recruitment diversity, leadership representation, inclusive culture, equitable opportunities.
• Social – Health & safety, fair pay, employee development, community impact, modern slavery prevention.
• Economic – Governance, ethical growth, anti-corruption, data security, responsible business practices.
• Environment – Waste management, water usage, pollution prevention, biodiversity protection.

This framework ensures you’re building something truly resilient, not just ticking boxes.

Your 4-Step Assessment (This Week)

Step 1: Download the Checklist.
Grab our General ESG Impact Checklist. It’s organised by department and asks simple yes/no questions to guide your audit. You can access this and more resources in our free ESG unfiltered course.

Step 2: Schedule 30-Minute Chats
Talk to Finance, Operations, HR, and Compliance leads. You don’t need hours, just 30 minutes each. Walk them through the relevant checklist sections.

Step 3: Gather the Evidence
Ask for the actual documents: utility bills, H&S reports, training records, supplier info. This evidence is crucial for building credibility later.

Step 4: Map Your Baseline
Create a simple summary of what you’re currently doing across the five themes. This becomes your starting point.

The goal isn’t to create new work. It’s to organise what you already have and get credit for it.

What You’ll Discover

Once you’ve completed your assessment, you’ll have:

• Confidence: You’re not starting from zero.
• Credibility: You can answer customer ESG questionnaires with real data.
• Clarity: You know exactly where your gaps are.
• A baseline: You can measure progress from here.

Next: From Assessment to Strategy

In our next blog, we’ll tackle the Plan phase: how to set meaningful ESG goals that actually drive your business forward. You’ll learn how to prioritise based on what’s material to your business and what your stakeholders care about.

But first, complete your assessment. Spend this week gathering your data. You’ll be surprised by what you find.

Ready to master ESG assessment or get start started on the next step? Our “ESG Unfiltered” course gives you the templates, tools, and confidence in under 60 minutes total.

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