Social Value Canada Social Value November News
ISSB and IFRS Event: Sustainability Symposium 2023
The IFRS, creator of ISSB, is hosting an inaugural Sustainability Symposium in February 2023. The event will bring together global businesses, investors and policymakers to discuss progress towards a global baseline of sustainability disclosures to inform investment decisions.
Discussion topics include:
- themes of feedback received on the exposure draft standards and progress towards publishing the final standards;
- the prospect for regulatory adoption of the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards;
- the need for capacity building for both emerging economies and small and medium-sized companies;
- preparedness of investors and corporates to use and disclose with the standards; and
- integrated reporting best practices and use cases.
Expert panelists will discuss the use and uptake of IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards and SASB Standards by investors, businesses and regulators, as well as how the Integrated Reporting Framework can be used to enable effective corporate reporting and communication on these topics.
The Sustainability Symposium will be held on February 17, 2023 in Montreal and will be available virtually as well.
ESG Needs a Shared Language
There is little to no consensus over what ESG is, who should own it, or what should happen to formalize it.
One of the first principles of systems change is that all stakeholders must have “shared language” to foster trust and effective collaboration. The Stanford Social Innovation Review recently published the article “ESG needs a shared language” and explains that ESG for assurance, ESG for regulation, and ESG for impact all have vastly different focus areas and different ways of communicating, which can lead to misunderstandings.
Social impact professionals, consumers, and employees tend to care the most about ESG for Impact. But a desire to do good from a handful of companies will not be enough to change the economy and achieve the SDGs. According to a report from McKinsey, 90 percent of S&P 500 companies publish an ESG report, but progress towards the SDGs is still behind target.
The ESG space is rapidly evolving and expanding, and debates over meaning will be an inherent part of that process. However, to move towards a shared language, all stakeholders need to do their part to better define their language, and to be clear about it to others.
Barriers to Impact Measurement and Reporting?
Social Value Canada has partnered with Carleton University and Sprott School of Business in a research project to explore whether barriers exist to impact measurement and reporting. Do you have an opinion? We would love to hear it.
No matter your industry or role, help contribute to pioneering research. Answer our short five-minute survey by clicking on this link.
SVC Practitioner Database – Soon to be Launched!
At SVC we are working to meet the growing demand for SROI and Social Value Practitioners.
In order to do that we are launching a database for all people providing services connected to social value and impact. The database will help you connect with other practitioners and will support you in expanding your network.
We will be reaching out to all AP Level 1,2, and 3 Practitioners. If you would like to have your name and details in the database please get in touch here.
Find Out What Social Value Means and Learn About our Network – Join the Conversation on December 7
Social value can be this big, mysterious term. Too often it is used interchangeably with other buzzwords, such as social impact, purpose, sustainability, and CSR.
Have you ever wondered what social value actually is and how it is related to sustainability? What role does social value play in ESG? Why does it matter and how can you measure it?
Join us on December 7 to discover why social value should be a part of every decision-making process. We’ll talk about what the network is doing, what its purpose is, and what is happening around the world. Bring your questions about the importance of social value and how it can benefit people and the planet.
The Future of GDP and Measuring What Matters
Check out this insightful blogpost by Bonnie Chiu published by Social Value International.
Bonnie questions the main measure for economic growth and argues that there is no one metric that can replace GDP. Instead, we should think about the underlying principles of how GDP is calculated.
Social Value International aims to optimize wellbeing for all through changing the way society accounts for value – broadening beyond a limited economic concept of value, i.e. GDP. But the way Social Value International has created change is not through a top-down imposition of what the alternative values should be – rather, the social value networks create a set of principles and the methodology for Social Return on Investment (SROI) so that different actors, from investors to policy makers, can measure and value transactions differently. Our view is if the transactions can measure what matters , impacts on wellbeing, then from the bottom up we can inform this aggregate measure for the whole society.
Social Value Canada Membership
Our Canadian network brings together a community of members interested in Social Value, Impact Management, and tools such as Social Return on Investment (SROI). Membership can be either individual or for a whole organization
Join Social Value Canada. Become part of an exciting global movement that seeks to change the way the world accounts for value. Be part of our international rising social value tide. Together we can lift all boats!
As an SVC member, you will be able to:
- Gain access to the Canadian and international network of SVC
- Be informed in the field’s newest developments
- Build your expertise in social value and become a knowledge hub within your industry
- Shape the agenda of the Canadian movement
- Raise your profile and awareness of your cause
Become a Social Value Canada Affiliate
SVC Affiliates are organizations that share our Canadian and global vision to address inequality and climate change, through decision-making that seeks to enhance the wellbeing for all.
There is no cost to affiliation, merely a mutual commitment to cross-post news, knowledge, and information about training and learning opportunities. SVC affiliates can offer their own members discounted access to SVC ‘happenings’.
As an affiliate you will also receive ongoing recognition as part of our national and international movement on the SVC website, in newsletters, and on social media. Contact Arnaud for more details.