Amid the whirlwind of “green” jargon sweeping through economic forums, the ESG report is often likened to a glittering medal pinned to a company’s chest. But for Mr. Phạm Quốc Hưng – General Director of VietESG – the report has a different identity: it is both the result of a lonely internal “blood transfusion” and a pledge made on one’s honour to the future.
Behind the numbers lie “sweat” and the courage to let go
Business owners are often the loneliest people when facing a decision to change. In conversation, Mr. Hưng speaks frankly: “Many CEOs come to me and ask how to write a good report. I usually ask them in return: what have you actually done that I can write about? Because no one can use words to cover up a hollow operating system.”
For a single short line such as “Carbon emissions reduced by 10%” or “Gender equality index improved by 20%”, the person at the top has had to go through fierce inner struggles. It means accepting the sacrifice of short-term profit and abandoning outdated processes that once made money, in order to invest in value that cannot yet be measured. The report is therefore the “sweet fruit” of courage – proof that the leader chose the right path rather than the easy one.
Don’t let your “ESG architects” do a typist’s job
A common mistake is to treat ESG as the job of the administration or marketing department. Mr. Hưng reflects: “High-quality ESG does not come from soulless numbers. It comes from top-calibre people – those who act as chief architects of sustainability.”
True ESG professionals are not just data collectors; they are “temple guardians” protecting the business against non-financial risks and “translating” demanding international standards into the language of day-to-day operations. Valuing these people and placing them in the right strategic positions is how a CEO protects the organisation’s “immune system”. Do not let minds capable of building a legacy be reduced to “scavenging” for data to dress up a file.
The “starting gun” and the pressure of transparency
For Mr. Hưng, the publication of an ESG report is not the moment for a company to rest because it has “crossed the finish line”. On the contrary, it is the start of an examination.
“The very moment you publish your report, you place yourself under the microscope of investors, rating agencies and the entire global supply chain,” he stresses.
As demanding markets such as the EU and the US erect strict “green barriers”, the ESG report is no longer a decorative option. It is a survival “passport”. If it is merely a glossy communications product lacking real implementation, the company will soon be eliminated once real-world verification takes place. Transparency has been switched on, and it leaves no room for showy, short-lived “downpours”.
Seen through the eyes of Mr. Phạm Quốc Hưng, the ESG report is not a destination to conquer but a quality to cultivate. It is the diary recording the coming of age of a decent business – where every page is steeped in responsibility and the aspiration to leave a clean legacy for future generations. Do not embark on this journey if you only want to “put on a show”, because in the green era, Truth is the most valuable currency.
A GIFT FOR CEOs: 5 SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS BEFORE PREPARING AN ESG REPORT
To find out whether your business is genuinely investing or merely “putting on a show”, business owners should try answering the following 5 questions:
- Implementation: Without this report, would your company’s environmental and social indicators really be improving day by day?
- People: Does your ESG lead have the authority to intervene in operating processes, or do they only appear when year-end data needs collecting?
- Finance: Do you see ESG spending as a “sunk cost” for communications, or as an “investment” to reduce risk and long-term cost of capital?
- Transparency: Do you dare to include the areas where you have “not yet done well” in the report, together with a roadmap for improvement?
- Legacy: Reading this report again in 10 years, will you be proud that it changed your company’s DNA?
