Strategic Focus: The Future Of ESG And GRC
Access this research
Access all Corporate Sustainability Leaders content with a strategic subscription or buy this single report
Need help or have a question about this report? Contact us for assistance
Executive Summary
The ESG landscape is rapidly evolving. A wave of new regulations is forcing firms to scale up ESG commitments and integrate sustainability considerations into mainstream business decision-making. Corporate ESG performance is now subject to intense public scrutiny and in response to this, firms are changing the way they manage ESG internally. This raises questions about how governance, risk and compliance (GRC) can be leveraged to support ESG objectives. This report provides executives in sustainability, finance, risk, legal and internal audit roles with insights into how the relationship between ESG and GRC is evolving and how organizations can adopt an integrated approach to managing ESG and GRC programmes.Evolving ESG Landscape Calls For A New Model Of Corporate Governance
An Integrated Approach To ESG And GRC Can Advance Sustainability Objectives
Organizations Should Leverage Technology To Streamline Process And Data Integration
Figure 2. Contribution To ESG And Sustainability Strategy By Business Function
Figure 3. Contribution To ESG And Sustainability Strategy By Stakeholder
Figure 4. Surge In ESG Software Investment By Vendors With A GRC Background
About the Authors
Lily Turnbull
Senior Analyst
Lily is a Senior Analyst at Verdantix, where she delivers in-depth research to help executives navigate ESG, sustainability and product innovation, and make confident decision...
View Profile
Kim Knickle
Research Director
Kim Knickle is a Research Director at Verdantix, bringing more than two decades of analyst experience to the evolving world of sustainability. Her current research spans ESG a...
View ProfileOther related content
At the start of 2025, I expected an exciting year for sustainability. Well, it certainly has been exciting, just not exactly in the ways I’d hoped. From the EU Omnibus to President...
05 September, 2025
On August 21, 2025, the US and the EU unveiled their joint Framework on an Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade. Buried under headlines about tariffs and energy dea...
28 August, 2025
I’m based in the US, where it doesn’t take much effort to find anti-ESG news. Stating the obvious: President Trump falls into the anti-ESG camp. And many federal government agencie...
27 August, 2025
-rollback-the-impact-of-rescinding-the-endangerment-finding_1920x1080px.jpg?sfvrsn=e0b9610e_1)
The Trump administration just took one of its most momentous steps yet in dismantling US federal climate policy. On July 25, 2025, the EPA announced a proposal to rescind the 2009 ...
05 August, 2025
In July 2025, the European Commission published its Roadmap towards Nature Credits, signalling the EU’s intent to establish and directly support a dedicated nature credits market. ...
05 August, 2025
As attention shifts away from net zero target setting to asset level decarbonization, many firms are discovering critical disconnect between their energy management efforts and cor...
Upcoming / 24 September, 2025