Buchanan’s ESG Team has worked with Blancco Technology Group over the past three years, supporting the Group to develop its sustainability programme, identify key metrics to measure performance, and articulate its impact story. As the industry standard in data erasure, Blancco’s products facilitate the secure erasure of electronic devices, negating the need for physical destruction and allowing hardware to have a second life. It was important that we communicate this positive environmental impact, whilst also presenting the Group’s strong internal management of ESG.
This month, Blancco published its 2022 ESG Report, building on its impact narrative and demonstrating improved management of ESG risk and opportunity through their performance analysis. The Group achieved carbon neutrality this year and set its first decarbonisation targets; we used the TCFD to map out the governance framework, strategy, and risk management in place to progress the Group on its journey to net zero, including conducting climate scenario analysis.
In September, Norge Mining published their Responsible Business Report for 2021 titled ‘Creating a Positive Legacy’. During this process, Buchanan provided consultancy, copywriting and strategy development to help Norge seize the opportunities presented by specific ESG issues.
Norge is focused on three EU Critical Raw Materials – phosphate, vanadium and titanium. These materials are of major strategic importance to Europe with an urgent requirement to produce them to ensure the security of supply and to meet ESG agendas in which companies are focusing on the provenance of materials to ensure they are ethically and sustainably sourced.
To deliver its plans to move from exploration into development and production, Norge is committed to the highest standards of responsible stewardship. Alignment with international sustainability programmes and disclosure guidance is central to the Company’s strategy for becoming a robust and responsible mining and processing business.
This is the second Report published by Norge outlining the significant progress achieved during 2021 across the Company but particularly from the perspective of sustainability.
Click here to read this report.
Redde Northgate has published its inaugural Sustainability Report. To understand ESG management across the merged Group and articulate a cohesive story, we needed to work with subject matter experts from across all areas of the business. Buchanan developed a robust ESG framework that outlined the material issues, objectives, and approach in each area of E, S and G.
As a fleet management company that is beginning the transition to electric vehicles (EV), it was also important to communicate the Group’s strong Drive to Zero story. We utilised the recommendations of the TCFD as a framework to demonstrate how the Group is taking a considered approach that will result in a holistic EV offering for its customers, as well as the efforts being undertaken to reduce its own carbon footprint.
The report encompasses performance and initiatives from across the Group, whilst also evidencing the standardisation of policies and formation of Group-level functions, and it was aligned to global ESG frameworks.
Click here to read this report.
Buchanan’s ESG Team recently produced Rank Group’s inaugural Sustainability Report. Back in January, we developed and designed the Group’s first interim Responsible Business Report, which set out the ESG strategy and key areas of focus that we established. This work was also supported by the in-depth Materiality Assessment we conducted for the Group, engaging with a range of external and internal stakeholders to understand the most pertinent ESG issues for Rank and the key risks and opportunities that are faced in different areas of the business.
This full-year Sustainability Report represents the Group’s efforts over the course the year and builds upon the framework outlined in the interim report, including tracking performance in each of the focus areas. We also disclosed in line with the recommendations of the TCFD and referenced SASB and GRI.
Click here to read the report.
Following Seraphine’s IPO on the London Stock Exchange, we partnered with them to create a compelling maiden annual report, capturing the purpose at the heart of this international maternity retailer.
Working closely with Lee Williams, Seraphine’s CFO and Chelsey Oliver, Creative and Brand Director (the mum behind the brand), the Buchanan team put together a comprehensive document which brings Seraphine’s heritage and insightful design approach to the fore.
Through the use of bold product imagery, the report demonstrates the Group’s commitment to creating innovative, versatile, sustainable maternity and nursing wear.
Click here to read the report
We’re delighted to have supported Watkin Jones in the development of their integrated annual report for which they won the Small Cap Sustainability Reporting award from IR Magazine. Building on their Future Foundations ESG strategy that sits at the heart of everything they do, the award reflects the skill of their team in producing clear investor-facing communications about ESG issues.
For two consecutive years, Buchanan has provided ESG consultancy to Watkin Jones. We carried out interviews with senior management to understand shifts in the areas that matter most to the Company and provided advisory to the ESG steering committee.
Watkin Jones is the UK’s leading developer and manager of residential for rent, with a focus on the build to rent (‘BtR’) and student accommodation sectors.
We are pleased with their progress over the past two years, including their recent launch of ESG targets. These targets focused on three key pillars of future people, future places and future planet.
Click here to read the report.
Buchanan’s Design Team is pleased to announce the launch of its inaugural Annual Report for Velocys, the sustainable fuels technology company. Working closely with Lak Siriwardene, Velocys’ Director of Communications & Sustainability, Buchanan’s team put together a new layout and design that helped bring Velocys’ innovative technology to the fore and convey the Company’s ability to enable the production of commercial scale sustainable aviation fuel.
Click here to read the report.
Buchanan were engaged to develop VAALCO’s 2021 Sustainability Report. Buchanan’s ESG team aligned the report to the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), as well as commencing VAALCO’s reporting in line with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). Critically, the disclosure illustrates the Company’s commitment to defining a clear emissions reduction pathway and its pragmatic approach to introducing decarbonisation strategies in its operations.
The team worked closely with individuals from across the Company to deliver a report that demonstrates VAALCO’s strong commitment to Gabon, where it has operated for over 20 years and has close ties with the local communities. The report was produced by Buchanan’s design team.
Click here to read the report.
In February, Buchanan hosted a panel with Women in Mining UK, The Good Pitch: The Dos and Don’ts With Mining Media, to discuss how corporates can work with the financial and trade media in a way that works, including what is the best way to approach the media when you have a positive story or when there’s been some negative developments.
Guests included Neil Hume (Natural Resources Editor at the Financial Times), Carly Leonida (Owner and Author at The Intelligent Miner and European Editor at Mining Media International) and Kirsty Hickey (Business Producer at Ian King Live – Sky News). Ariadna Peretz ( Director at Buchanan and Head of Communications at WIM UK) moderated.
Below we’ve included some highlights but the one big takeaway was “it’s all about the narrative.” That means media relations departments have to work harder and smarter when pitching their corporate stories. No longer is it enough to have solid results in a bear market or a “killer” dividend policy. What journalists care about is the “so what” factor. Therefore the main question to answer before pitching to journalist is “Why is my company’s story interesting to the journalist’s readers?” Craft the narrative before you pick up the phone and when you have the journalist on the line, make it apparent why your news is important and why their readers would care.
Getting the basics right
Journalists are short on time therefore you need to cut to the chase and make sure your story is relevant to their publication. Do your research on what your target publication covers and make it obvious from the outset what you are pitching and why it is relevant to their readers. If it doesn’t seem relevant on the face of it, take the time to explain why it is because if it’s not immediately apparent, it will get ignored. If you think the story isn’t relevant to the publication, don’t get in touch as that is counterproductive.
Unsolicited emails don’t work because there are too many emails and too little time in the day of a journalist. To stand out, play the long game. Try to build relationships beforehand so that when you have a story, they know who you are and are more likely to want to work with you. It also puts you top of mind when journalists are looking for insight on a particular topic.
If you are ignored, don’t be discouraged. Kirsty says she often comes back to previous pitches to help her with programming.
Topics
The energy transition is the biggest topic right now but it’s not the only thing journalists are writing on. Carly writes a lot about responsible sourcing and all things tech. At the Financial Times, Neil is seeing a lot of interest in battery materials, lithium and giga factories.
Interestingly, the more popular the topic, the more selective journalists are about the stories they cover. For example, the bar is very high for ‘Net Zero’ stories because most companies are making pledges these days and there is a lot of ‘greenwashing’.
Op-eds
When it comes to submitting an op-ed, it’s important to include who you are and why you are qualified to speak on a particular topic. The op-ed should be in good form by the time it is emailed to the publication. If it takes the editor more than an hour to edit, it will be ignored. At the Financial Times, contrarian views are appreciated and a news hook is not always necessary.
Editorial calendar
Not all publications have an editorial calendar but if they do, it is followed religiously because it helps with securing advertising. If you’d like to pitch a story to an online publication using its editorial calendar, get in touch four to six weeks before deadline.
Negative news
There are stories we want splashed all over the place and then others we wish never happened. The consensus with our speakers was to own up to the news and speak on the topic.
When there is a negative news story, Sky News will always ask the company for a statement. At the FT, the requirement is to have comments double sourced and companies will be given plenty of time to reply to the journalist’s questions. Neil’s preference is to speak to the CEO on the record to find out what’s going on but often companies don’t oblige. At Buchanan we believe if you aren’t telling your story, someone else will, therefore it’s important to speak to the media.
You can watch the full video here. Watch until the end to find out what are our guests’ pet peeves – some are pretty bad and definitely not something you want to be guilty of!
Have any questions or comments? Get in touch with Ariadna at [email protected].