Simply doing the right thing is at the heart of what we at The Student Energy Group do. From ensuring that we sustainably rebuild Scottish forests and create native wildflower meadows for every household that joins our community, to ensuring that a homeless charity in Birmingham has the funds to keep its lights on over the winter. We believe that as a business, we have a responsibility to make things better for communities and for the planet that we inhabit through our planned and sustained commitment to ESG.
What is ESG?
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is the voluntary ethical commitment that a company chooses to contribute to the wellbeing of society and communities beyond its primary business goals. This mission should include initiatives and actions that go beyond gaining profit and work to support local communities, society and the environment. To put this in everyday terms, it’s what a business does to support its local community, society, the environment and for the greater good.
Why is ESG important?
ESG is important because it not only enhances a company’s reputation and builds trust among stakeholders but also aligns business interests with broader societal and environmental concerns.
By addressing social and environmental issues, companies can:
- Foster sustainable growth
- Attract socially conscious consumers
- Play a pivotal role in addressing pressing global challenges such as climate change and inequality.
It’s a clear indication of the values of a company and what they stand for.
How can businesses demonstrate environmental, social and governance?
There are a range of ways that businesses can work towards ESG. From donating money, products or services to non-profits or social causes to sponsoring such companies or hosting events. A business may choose its own path to ESG as long as ethical and voluntary commitment is at the heart of their mission.
The Student Energy Group and ESG
For around half of employees, ESG is seen as a box-ticking exercise but for the Student Energy Group team, it’s so much more than that. We are striving to create real societal change that drives value and fuels business growth both locally and on a global level.
How TSEG is driving change locally
With 70% of charities saying that the cost of living crisis is affecting their work directly it’s becoming increasingly important to help those that help others.
When the Bridgenorth Debt Centre set up a crowdfunding appeal to help with the growing numbers of people needing debt advice and management we were able to step in to give the team a donation and to look at how we can work with them to ensure that this incredibly important service continues. Earlier this year, the Birmingham-based homeless charity, SIFA Fireside, were faced with a 300% increase in their energy costs. We were able to step in and halve their bills ensuring that this service could continue to help some of the most vulnerable people in the UK’s second city.
We were also able to help with the creation of a warm and safe space for adults and children in Chesterfield as part of the Chesterfield FC Community Trust Warm Hub project which is connected to the football stadium. The hub consists of a seated area, laundry, bathroom facilities and soft play area.
The Student Energy Group are also proud patrons of LoveBrum! LoveBrum! is a charitable organisation officially registered to assist lesser-known initiatives throughout Birmingham. They support the ‘hard-to-reach’ projects that do not receive the vital funding or platforms that they need to operate and rightly deserve.
Supporting our local communities and ensuring that we recognise its issues and work to find solutions is an integral part of our mission.
The Student Energy Group’s commitment to the planet
When we created The Student Energy Group, we also wanted to ensure that we created a legacy and what better way to do this than reintroducing forests and wildflowers in the UK. We’ve partnered with The Future Forest Company, and for every household that signs up to a bills package with us we can ensure that they are supporting environmental restoration. Sustainability is an important mission to us and we hope to embrace innovative approaches to protect ecosystems and preserve the earth’s web of life.
On top of this, we also support the work that WWF is doing across the globe raising thousands to support its global efforts.
