ESG STRATEGY

Acero Engineering is a Calgary-based Energy and Pipeline EPCM that recognizes the critical importance of an ESG strategy, especially in the energy sector.

FROM POSSIBILITY TO REALITY – We continually provide expertise in efficient project execution that is socially and environmentally responsible. We help our clients achieve their sustainability goals for their business and operations.

Acero Engineering recognizes the rapidly increasing importance of ESG and is committed to supporting our clients’ ESG strategies.

What is ESG?

ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance and investors are increasingly applying these non-financial factors as part of their analytic process to identify material risks and growth opportunities and to determine those companies that they wish to align with, based on their ESG performance or score.

In compiling a list of ESG factors, it is evident that they can be linked and intertwined. The following are the relevant ESG endeavors being taken on and applied by Acero in its day-to-day service for its clients:

Environmental

Climate change and carbon emissions
Air and water pollution
Energy efficiency
Waste management
Water management/conservation
Forest management
Biodiversity

Social

Gender, diversity and inclusion
Data protection and privacy
Community relations
Human rights
Labour standards
Customer satisfaction
Human Safety

Governance

Audit structure
Executive compensation
Political contributions
Whistleblower schemes
Lobby policies
Board composition

Environmental (Conservation of the Natural World)
This includes the energy your company takes in, the waste it discharges, the resources it needs, and the consequences of the related activities. E encompasses carbon emissions and climate change. Every company uses energy and resources; every company affects, and is affected by, the environment.

Social (People and Relationships)
Addresses the relationships a company has and the reputation it fosters with people and institutions in the communities where you do business. This includes labor relations and diversity and inclusion. Every company operates within a broader, diverse society. Acero recognizes that this relationship is critical for its clients and further recognizes that, as a technical representative of its clients, we must be sure to emulate the same consideration and message as that of its clients.

Governance (Standards for running a company)
The internal system of practices, controls, and procedures a company adopts in order to govern itself, make effective decisions, comply with the law, and meet the needs of external stakeholders. Every company, which is itself a legal creation, requires governance.

Why ESG?

While an ESG proposition is compelling at an ethical and emotional level, it also provides value creation in a financial sense as well. How exactly does a strong ESG proposition make financial sense? ESG links to cash flow in five important ways:

facilitating top-line growth,
reducing costs,
minimizing regulatory and legal interventions,
increasing employee productivity, and
optimizing investment and capital expenditures

At Acero, we understand that each of these five components are part of a leader’s mental checklist when approaching ESG opportunities. The following table illustrates some of the differences between strong and weak ESG approaches:

Measure

Related GRI Performance Indicator

Strong ESG

Weak ESG

Top Line Growth

Economic > Economic Performance – EC1

Attract customers with more sustainable products. Achieve better access to resources through stronger community and government relations.

Lose customers through poor sustainability practices (i.e. human rights, supply chain), or perception of unsustainable/unsafe products. Lose access to resources, including from operational shutdowns, as a result of poor community and labour relations.

Cost reductions

Economic > Economic Performance – EC2

Lower energy consumption and reduce water utilization.

Generate unnecessary waste and pay correspondingly higher waste disposal costs. Expend more in packaging costs.

Regulatory and legal interventions

Compliance> Environmental Performance – EN28

Achieve greater strategic freedom through deregulation. Earn subsidies and government support.

Suffer restrictions on advertising and point of sale. Incur fines, penalties and enforcement actions.

Productivity uplift

Labour Practices> Disclosure on Management Approach – DMA

Boost employee motivation. Attract talent through greater social credibility.

Deal with social stigma, which restricts talent pool. Lose talent as a result of weak purpose.

Investment and asset optimization

Economic > Economic Performance – EC1

Enhance investment returns by better allocating capital for the long term (i.e. more sustainable plant and equipment). Avoid investments that may not pay off because of longer-term environmental issues.

Suffer stranded assets as a result of premature write-downs. Fall behind competitors that have invested to be less energy hungry.

Acero's objective is to become an extension to each of its clients' needs by incorporating the appropriate ESG plans and policies that complement and support. Essentially, our primary goal is for our clients to recognize Acero as a division of their organization, operating in a manner consistent with all of their corporate ESG strategies in executing engineering, procurement and construction activities. In Canada, a number of projects will thrive economically while considering social and environmental impacts (the triple bottom line) as a result of ESG compliance, and Acero will evaluate every potential for these opportunities in recommending options to meet its clients' primary engineering, procurement and construction solutions.

Contact Acero today to find out more about our ESG strategy and how we will ensure a seamless execution of your engineering and ESG needs.