‘Like many others, I aspire to make a lasting, positive impact. While I had been trying to do this by contributing outside of work—such as participating in educational governing bodies—my professional focus remained elsewhere. Seeing a lot of activism in the world on sustainability, the existence of the alphabet soup and geopolitical developments such as Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) made me want to get a more profound understanding of the subject. This was to become more professionally engaged with executive management on ESG-relevant topics. The ESG Academy felt like an opportunity to do so. What significantly helped me in my decision was that it was a full-year academic programme with participants from a broad range of experiences.’

A valuable programme for Sustainability Auditors

‘The ESG Academy provided me – and I expect others as well – with 2 very important insights. Firstly, a thorough understanding of CSRD and its background. Secondly – and for me, more importantly – the academy created context and deepened understanding, allowing me to also perform enterprise risk management and internal audit activities in a much stronger business context.’

Practical Relevance

‘The topics related to the social dimension of ESG were particularly relevant to my daily practice. In addition to that, anything connecting to Double Materiality Assessment (DMA) & Impacts, Risks, and Opportunities (IRO) has been extremely productive. On these topics, the programme has allowed me to broaden my professional perspective. This makes me a stronger professional, I feel that it enables me to constructively engage and partner with executive management on the business case for ESG and the challenges that come with it.’

‘CSRD has brought ESG onto the compliance agenda, but the real value for me has been going beyond compliance. I’ve developed a model that brings the DMA & IRO directly into the space of enterprise risk management with a direct link to strategy setting. In my daily conversations it means approaching it with the magical three: DMA & IRO vs risk appetite vs risk exposure. These 3 factors together shape a company’s true risk profile and must be managed across strategy and operations. Some might say I focus on cross-cutting standards, and that’s true to an extent—but the real breakthrough lies in embedding ESG into the company’s DNA, not treating it as a separate agenda.’

The alumni network

'That’s something that still needs to grow, but I really look forward to growing my understanding and insights through the network of Academy alumni. Internal roundtables where alumni, amongst friends, can share their latest experiences and challenges would be one thing. Also, I see the alumni network as a bridge to expanding connections and a way to get that ‘other perspective’. Also, the community will continue to work with the UvA ESG Academy to bring new materials and courses to the group where possible. Being part of the alumni network board I am maybe projecting my dreams for the future, but for the future I consider the alumni network as a trusted group of peers who I can rely on to keep it real and do better every day.’

‘For now I can mostly reflect on my own ‘class of 2023’ as the larger network will have to grow to be a true network in the coming period. We stay in touch through an active chat group—sharing everything from useful insights on podcasts like Omnibus and SBTI to light-hearted celebrations and moments of laughter. I also regularly meet fellow alumni in person. These encounters offer social connection and, more importantly, a chance to check in on content and process. They consistently leave me energised and professionally enriched.’

‘As we have been able to experience through the launch of Omnibus, the path of ESG is a rocky one for many companies. It’s clear there’s still much to do. We need protesters and reporting specialists, yes—but we also need a ‘third religion’ of professionals who can translate ESG into tangible business value. The ESG Academy is, in my view, the ideal breeding ground for those professionals.’