Female founders from Pillsbury launch youth-led community with mission to unite action-driven sustainability leaders
London, 25th November 2024: Today sees the launch of the Young ESG Professionals Network in London bringing together an array of ESG specialists and innovators spanning technology, investment, finance, policy, and non-profit to foster cross-discipline collaboration.
Interest in ESG has exploded in recent years, with the value of ESG-related assets under management expected to reach $33.9tn in 2026. But despite the soaring interest, significant questions remain about everything from the scope and depth of ESG requirements through to the effective implementation of ESG best practices.
Founded by Pillsbury Associates Iris Karaman (pictured) and Kate Chan, the intention is to build a specialist network who will collaborate to develop solutions to the key sustainability and ESG challenges facing clients.
The network launched with an inaugural invite-only event featuring guest speakers from international law firm Pillsbury, KPMG and ESG tech platform Osapiens, to discuss use of AI in developing sustainable supply chains and the risks and opportunities that come from supply chain reporting. Pillsbury Counsel Scott Morton was joined by Jaime Marijuán Castro, the Head of Global Partnership and Alliance at Osapiens, as well asKarl Reimer and Donata Haque-Bernutz, both ESG managers at KPMG, to discuss whether AI can be used to ensure supply chain compliance whilst avoiding ethical risks and complying with the EU’s AI Act.
Commenting on the launch, Kate Chan, Co-Founder of the Young ESG Professionals Network, said: “Macro, unanswered questions about ESG remain on everything from the role cutting-edge technology can play in ensuring compliance to practical challenges and risks in ESG implementation. Get ESG right and the benefits can be substantial but get it wrong and companies could find themselves staring down the barrel of significant legal and financial penalties, reputational damage and the loss of business opportunities.”
Iris Karaman, co-founder added: “We’ve launched this first-of-its-kind network to offer fresh perspectives to solve the key challenges within ESG. There is a lot of commitment, energy and drive within the community of young ESG professionals to make an impact. Rather than being a talking shop, this network is about driving change and innovation through collaboration and sharing knowledge.”
The roundtable was the first in a planned series of events that will be hosted in coming months. The Young ESG Professionals Network’s next event will focus on onboarding nature in the boardroom and incorporating nature in ESG implementation. Those interested in attending can find out more here.
