The Strategic imperative of ESG in modern business: Inspired’s Aine Crossan on NextFrontier podcast

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations have moved beyond the realm of regulatory compliance to become a strategic priority for organisations seeking long-term resilience and sustainable value creation.

In NextFrontier: The Business Case for ESG, Aine Crossan, Inspired’s ESG Director, outlines this shift as key to contemporary corporate strategy.

Across episodes three and four of the NextFrontier podcast, hosted by Alastair Greener, Aine challenges the perception of ESG as a mere compliance burden. When implemented with clarity and commercial intent, ESG can materially influence corporate performance and risk management.

ESG must be understood in terms of materiality: ESG frameworks identify the environmental, social, and governance factors that genuinely affect a company’s operations, supply chain and strategic resilience.

Elements such as climate risk and governance structures influence long-term performance differently across industries and geographies. Therefore, companies must tailor their ESG focus to the factors most pertinent to their business model. This nuanced approach not only enhances risk management but also aligns sustainability objectives with core commercial outcomes.

While mandatory ESG disclosures can appear administratively burdensome, Aine argues that effective ESG integration yields benefit over multi-year horizons, including improved operational efficiency and reduced risk exposure. She cautions against superficial compliance that prioritises reporting over-performance, advocating instead for embedded ESG practices that inform governance, cultural norms and strategic planning.

By reframing ESG as a discipline that supports long-term value creation – rather than a peripheral obligation – organisations can enhance stakeholder trust, strengthen market positioning and build resilience in an evolving global landscape.