ESG Leadership Essentials: a global training to empower EBMOs

© ITCILO

The ILO LEADER programme supports Employer and Business Membership Organizations (EBMOs) in becoming ESG leaders by enhancing their capacity to provide ESG training and advisory services. As part of this effort, the ILO and ITCILO teams recently introduced the ESG Leadership Essentials training package to EBMOs participating in the LEADER programme, along with other interested EBMOs.

Held across three webinars in November, the online training brought together 72 participants from countries including Australia, Bolivia, Eswatini, Honduras, Indonesia, Kuwait, Mongolia, Morocco, Nigeria, the Philippines, Tanzania, Uganda, and Viet Nam. The training emphasized the business case for EBMOs to engage in ESG, demonstrating how it enhances their influence and visibility, strengthens their members' business performance, and improves resilience to evolving ESG requirements. The training package covered the essentials of ESG, including the business case of companies, an overview of materiality assessments to help businesses identify and manage ESG-related risks while maximizing opportunities, and ESG reporting. 

Overall, the three-part webinar series introduced EBMO leaders to the growing importance of ESG issues and the increasing expectations for businesses to adopt and report on sustainable practices, showcasing how ESG unlocks opportunities. 

While the training package marks a significant milestone for the LEADER programme, the next steps are even more critical. EBMOs are now adapting the materials to their national contexts to launch ESG services for their members. This will better equip businesses to navigate their unique challenges while unlocking the opportunities ESG presents. EBMOs participating in the ILO LEADER Programme will continue to receive support in delivering both introductory and advanced ESG training formats, ensuring long-term impact and sustainability.

In the final webinar, Deborah France-Massin, Director, Bureau for Employers’ Activities, ILO highlighted the critical role of EBMOs in navigating the complexities of ESG requirements. She emphasized that EBMOs are uniquely positioned to guide businesses in their countries, enabling them to unlock the benefits of sustainable practices and contribute to long-term resilience. The LEADER programme highlights the ILO and ITCILO's commitment to empowering EBMOs as ESG leaders, equipping them to effectively support businesses and deliver ESG services.