ESG Compliance in India: A Complete Guide to ESG Compliance

ESG compliance is a global phenomenon adopted by businesses to instil reliability and trust in their stakeholders. India’s ESG adoption has also transformed from voluntary to mandatory disclosures for the top 1000 listed companies, monitored by SEBI.

ESG compliance implements the guidelines mandated by regulatory and governmental bodies on internal policies and business practices. Hence, many companies seek ESG services to gain credibility on multiple levels. The three pillars of ESG compliance are:

1. Environmental

   This pillar focuses on a company’s impact on the natural world. It includes:

   • Setting carbon reduction or netzero targets as recommended by global initiatives like the Science based target initiative.

   • Reporting performance metrics like waste generation, water usage, carbon emissions, etc., to the concerned regulatory bodies.

   • Adopting energy-efficiency measures into overall operations, working towards transitioning to renewable energy sources where possible.

   • Protecting biodiversity and conserving ecosystem in areas affected by the company’s operations.

2. Social

   This pillar addresses how a company manages relationships with its employees, suppliers, customers and communities. It includes;

   • Enforcing policies for diversity and inclusion amongst the workforce across every level.

   • Enforcing fair and ethical labour practices, adhering to international labour conventions, as well as human rights protections across all operations and supply chains.

   • Engagement across various levels of community outreach for supporting social development

   • Implementing occupational health and safety standards to protect employee well-being.

   • Facilitating training and development programs for employees to enhance skills and support career growth.

3. Governance

   This pillar involves a company’s leadership, executive compensation, audits, internal controls and shareholder rights. It includes:

   • Creating and enforcing a robust code of conduct and ethics, along with stringent anti-corruption and anti-bribery policies

   • Implementing transparent business policies and practices for continued stakeholder participation and trust

   • Carrying out regular audits to detect any governance vulnerabilities or violations of the ESG policies.

While certain standards and practices will differ from region to region, there are widely accepted global frameworks that present a broad and general set of guidelines. These include:

• The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards

• The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)

• The United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI)

• The Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)

• Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)

ESG compliance in India is essential as the country attracts global investors who prioritise sustainability. SEBI’s mandatory BRSR framework ensures responsible practices, while transparent disclosures build long-term trust.

1. Healthier Financial Performance

A recent study by McKinsey suggests that businesses that are ESG-compliant often show better stock performance with lower capital costs. ESG reporting, along with well-planned initiatives, has proven to be an effective tool in countering the rising expenses for operational costs, which directly impact over 60% of operational profits. This helps businesses optimise their cost-saving measures healthily and reap the rewards in a sustainable manner.

2. Reputational and Competitive Advantage

Since the last decade, organisations have suffered reputational damages by working or collaborating with unsustainable third parties, and that is now seen as a risk. Businesses now publicise and market their ESG-compliant initiatives and partners to improve or maintain their reputation. This improved public image can lead to increased customer loyalty, better stakeholder relationships and an edge over competitors that aren’t committed to being sustainable. As consumers become more environmentally and socially conscious, a company's ESG efforts can prove to be a key differentiator in the long run.

3. Optimised Risk Management

Keeping up with market shifts,environmental hazards and regulatory changes are all tasks that can be significantly assisted by focusing on ESG compliance. This helps companies in fending off any potential risks that can impact their reputatio, business operations or supply chain. For instance, reporting on carbon emissions regularly can help a company better navigate CDP guidelines. Being ESG-compliant helps companies in being less likely to face reputational or operational risks.

4. Avoiding Regulatory Penalties

Environmental regulations often undergo periodic updates. Moreover, governments worldwide often impose newer and stricter regulations related to social and environmental practices. ESG compliance significantly assists companies in navigating these regulatory changes, thus avoiding any potential penalties.

5. Inspiring Creative & Innovative Initiatives

Being ESG-compliant pushes companies to think creatively and drive innovation to discover newer and more efficient ways to improve resource management, reduce waste, reduce emissions, and create sustainable products. Theseinnovations and can lead to many cost-saving and resource-efficient business practices, as well as help the businesses stay ahead of regulatory changes and industry trends.

Here are the main regulatory bodies that oversee ESG compliance in India:

• SEBI’s ESG Mandate & BRSR Format

  SEBI has enforced a robust ESG compliance India framework called Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR), which is mandatory for the top 1000 listed entities by market capital. However, other listed entities may choose to voluntarily adopt this framework.

• Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) Guidelines

  CSR requires organisations to invest a certain percentage of their annual profits towards social development or environmental conservation. MCA makes sure that organisations implement CSR guidelines under the Companies Act, 2013.

• Role of RBI in Green Finance & ESG Reporting for Banks

  RBI has enforced a Green Deposit Framework to financially support organisations that are invested in environmentally sustainable projects. RBI has also issued guidelines encouraging banks and financial institutions to assess climate-related financial risks in their portfolios.

• Other Industry-Specific ESG Requirements

  Depending on the industry and sector, a guide to ESG compliance has been put in place that outlines the ESG requirements. Although more stringent globally, many Indian organisations have voluntarily disclosed these aspects of their business.

Creating and implementing ESG solutions into your company’s infrastructure isn’t as simple as a copy-paste of suggested guidelines and regulations. It is an ever-evolving process that needs regular attention and updates. Here are the key steps companies must ensure while venturing into being ESG compliant:

1. Assessing the Current Policies and Practices

   Conducting a comprehensive assessment of current internal policies and business practices will help companies discover all the ways they have yet to experience being ESG compliant. This assessment should cover operations, supply chain, products and services. It is essential in creating a new and effective ESG compliance strategy that aligns with the company’s vision and incorporates ESG and sustainability standards.

2. Enforcing ESG Compliance

   Once the updated policies and practices have been implemented, the next step is integrating them into the company culture. Implement the new ESG principles that align with the company’s goals in all aspects of operations and management, including supply chain, employee engagement, and corporate governance.

3. Regular Reporting

   To ensure proper ESG compliance, companies must build new mechanisms to monitor how well the newer policies and practices are being adapted on a company-wide scale. Detailed reports must be made regularly on how well the management and employees perform on the established ESG standards.

4. Periodic Optimisations

   The final step towards achieving ESG compliance is to optimise your ESG strategy and practices with time. It is an ever-evolving process with new regulations and guidelines that governments and regulatory bodies introduce. Seeking more optimised ways to improve sustainability, practices, and emissions.Responding to new sustainability challenges will always be something to work towards, which is why companies should be open to constant improvements and optimisations in their processes.

Businesses can benefit greatly from ESG insights and resultant compliance. With stakeholders already placing so much weight on companies being ESG-compliant, it is not just advantageous but crucial for achieving sustainability and building brand reputation. Prioritising sustainability, social responsibility, and environmental care can help your business build a strong and ethical foundation, paving the way for sustainable growth and a more equitable future.

Indian businesses face structural challenges like evolving standards and a lack of uniform reporting, alongside operational issues such as poor data quality, limited SME awareness, and weak team alignment.

• Lack of Standardisation Across Reporting Agencies

  The lack of standardisation of a framework to record and report ESG parameters may cause confusion or inconsistency in structure or format. Also, since ESG standards are often evolving, it may become complex for organisations to include all parameters accurately and consistently.

• Data Availability and Quality Issues

  Many organisations may not have the metrics to record ESG parameters. Also, if the recorded data lacks accuracy, the ESG reporting often becomes moot.

• Low Awareness Among SMEs

  Business owners or SMEs, who are accountable for reporting on ESG, may not understand the significance of ESG compliance. Thus, they may not record data accurately or in time.

• Aligning Internal Teams for ESG Execution

  Although business owners or management are accountable for ESG reporting, quality data collection is a collective effort. Unless internal teams are aligned with ESG compliance, gathering the right and accurate data points may become a task in itself.

ESG compliance in India strengthens brand credibility, attracts sustainable investments, and builds consumer loyalty by showcasing responsible and ethical business practices.

• Expansion of ESG Disclosures

  Although disclosures and ESG compliance in India were voluntary in the past, this compliance has been made mandatory for the top 1000 companies listed as per market capital. Obtaining third-party ESG ratings, however, remains voluntary.

• ESG Integration in Lending & Investment Decisions

  Business investment has moved beyond profit-making and financial gains. Investors and funders are now analysing a company’s values, business ethics, social responsibility, and environmental conservation initiatives to make informed investment decisions.

• Rise of Tech-Driven ESG Monitoring Tools

  ESG compliance needs consistency and precision in recording data points. In today’s technology-driven space, many tools such as blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) can help the process of identifying risks, recording data, and analysing ESG parameters.

ESG compliance in India plays a key role in attracting sustainable investments and strengthening stakeholder trust. It goes beyond financial gains and also indicates how invested a business is in the social and environmental aspects.