We've created an AI tool for our teams to report to us their ESG score. Let us introduce you this ESG tool and its parts!
Overall Impact
The collective effort of the companies in the portfolio demonstrates a strong commitment to driving positive environmental and social change. By addressing critical sustainability challenges through innovation and technology, these companies are contributing to the achievement of global sustainability goals, including those outlined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The portfolio showcases the potential for collaborative and cross-sectoral efforts to make a significant impact on reducing our environmental footprint, fostering social responsibility, and promoting sustainable governance practices.
Beamline’s portfolio's collective efforts represent a forward-thinking and aggressive approach to sustainability, significantly outperforming the average European company in terms of CO2 reduction, energy and sustainable material use. These efforts not only contribute to global sustainability goals but also offer a competitive advantage in an increasingly eco-conscious market.
Beamline’s portfolio presents a comprehensive and multifaceted approach to addressing key environmental, social, and governance (ESG) challenges. Collectively, these companies are making significant strides in reducing CO2 emissions, enhancing energy efficiency, and promoting the use of sustainable materials across various industries.
Here's an overview of the collective effort and impact of the companies in the portfolio:
Reduction in CO2 Emissions
The combined initiatives of the portfolio are contributing to a substantial decrease in CO2 emissions. Technologies ranging from air and gas filtering, methane to hydrogen transformation, smart energy use, and carbon capture and conversion are directly tackling the carbon footprint of industrial, maritime, agricultural, and urban activities. The efforts in recycling, sustainable manufacturing, and alternative protein production further augment this impact by targeting the reduction of emissions from waste and material production processes.
Portfolio Impact
Companies within the portfolio are implementing technologies that directly cut emissions (92-99.9% in some cases), transform methane into hydrogen (potentially reducing 9000 tons CO2 eq/year), and optimize agricultural practices to significantly lower CO2 emissions (30-50% reduction).
Energy Savings
Several companies within the portfolio are focused on optimizing energy consumption through innovative technologies and smart systems. This includes the development of energy-efficient devices, platforms for monitoring and controlling energy use, and solutions that leverage renewable energy sources more effectively. The emphasis on energy savings not only contributes to environmental sustainability but also presents economic benefits by reducing operational costs.
Portfolio Impact
With initiatives focusing on smart energy use, renewable energy optimization, and energy-efficient manufacturing, the portfolio likely achieves substantial energy savings. Assuming a modest 10% energy savings across all operations, for a company consuming 1,000 MWh/year, this results in savings of 100 MWh/year.
Sustainable Materials Use
A significant portion of the portfolio is dedicated to promoting the use of more sustainable materials. This is evident in initiatives aimed at replacing non-renewable or resource-intensive materials with biodegradable, recyclable, or upcycled alternatives. Efforts in this area span across various sectors, including fashion, packaging, personal care, and agriculture, highlighting a broad commitment to reducing waste, pollution, and the depletion of natural resources.
Portfolio Impact
The emphasis on sustainable materials, including the development of biodegradable packaging, waterless manufacturing in personal care, and the replacement of non-sustainable raw materials, indicates a strong move towards sustainability. If we estimate that these initiatives result in a 50% increase in the use of sustainable materials compared to conventional alternatives, this could significantly reduce waste and pollution.
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We've created this AI tool for our teams to report to us their ESG score, but it is available for everyone to use!
Method of calculation
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria are a set of standards for a company's operations that socially conscious investors use to screen potential investments. The detailed description below explains how an ESG score can be calculated based on specific criteria within these three pillars: Environmental, Social, and Governance.
Environmental Criteria
The environmental criteria assess how a company performs as a steward of nature. It includes:
A1: Usage of Low-Impact Sources
This measures how a company utilizes sustainable raw materials and environmentally friendly suppliers. For software solutions, it considers the use of sustainable computing services. The score is based on the extent to which low-impact sources are used, with a detailed description provided for context.
A2: Process Efficiency
This evaluates the efficiency of the production process in using less energy, water, time, or other resources and in creating less emissions or waste.
A3: Outputs
This criterion looks at how the final product or service is more sustainable than existing market alternatives.
A4: Impact
This measures the degree to which the use of the product or service helps clients be more sustainable in the short and/or long term.
A5: CO2 Footprint Calculation
This assesses whether the company is actively reducing its CO2 footprint through research and development, offsetting, etc., or striving to keep it as low as possible.
Social Criteria
The social criteria examine how a company manages relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities where it operates.
B1: Gender Balanced Team
This measures the gender balance within the team, considering the stakes held by underrepresented genders.
B2: Team Heterogeneity by Cultural Diversity
This assesses the cultural diversity within the team.
B3: Community and Charity Activities
This criterion evaluates the team's participation in volunteer work, charity projects, and other community activities.
Governance Criteria
Governance involves a set of rules or principles defining rights, responsibilities, and expectations among stakeholders in the governance of corporations.
C1: Cybersecurity and Data Protection
This measures the procedures in place for cybersecurity and data protection.
C2: Flexible Work-Hours and Hybrid Work Conditions
This assesses the availability of flexible working hours and hybrid work conditions.
C3: Support in Learning and Development
This criterion evaluates the support provided to the team for learning and development activities.
C4: Corporate Transparency
This measures the level of transparency in the company, especially regarding financial figures and numbers.
Additional Criteria
D1: Female Founders' Representation
This assesses the representation of female founders within the company.
Calculation of ESG Score
The ESG score is calculated by assigning weights to each criterion within the Environmental, Social, and Governance categories.
Each category has a total weight (e.g., Environmental = 1/2, Social = 1/4, Governance = 1/4), and each criterion within a category has an individual weight.
Scores for each criterion are summed up and multiplied by their respective weights to obtain the category scores.
These are then combined to calculate the overall ESG score, expressed as a percentage. The improvement margin indicates the potential for improvement in the ESG score.
This calculation aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of a company's sustainability and social responsibility practices, helping investors and stakeholders make informed decisions.
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