13 mai 2021
The recent collapse of football's European Super League sheds an interesting new light on several perennial ESG questions around behavioural change. Once again, we're left asking whether companies today are choosing sustainability and better governance because they're passionate about improving their practices, or because they're required to by law? And are the actions of consumers and other stakeholders driving businesses' decision making instead?
The governance aspect of ESG receives less airtime than its environmental component, however it's an area with some statutory footing. Law dictates that directors make their decisions in the best interests of their company, for the benefit of its members overall. That said, the owners and board of a company don't have carte blanche in terms of their control over a company.
By law, the board is required to factor in:
And when it comes to stakeholders' concerns, customer satisfaction is a key component that owners and board members can't overlook or forget – something the owners of the football clubs that signed up to the Super League were forced to accept. While an exceptional event, it’s a stark example of the mantra "the customer is always right".
There are always lessons to be learned from failure, especially a high-profile event like the rapid collapse of the Super League.
Key takeaways to consider include:
To discuss the issues raised in this article in more detail, please reach out to a member of our Environmental, Social & Governance team.
par plusieurs auteurs