Ogier named one of top 10 ESG firms in Hong Kong by Asia Business Outlook

Ogier has been named in Asia Business Outlook’s list of top 10 most promising ESG and consulting firms in Hong Kong 2024.

The publication praises the firm for its “distinguished place in the industry” by offering integrated legal and consulting services dedicated to sustainable investment, as well as the firm’s own commitment to sustainability.

The recognition follows Ogier’s ranking as one of Asia's top 15 ESG law firms by Asian Legal Business in 2023.

In this profile, which first appeared in Asia Business Outlook, the global head of Ogier’s Sustainable Investment Consulting, Leonie Kelly, explains what makes Ogier’s sustainable investing services stand out.

Connecting sustainability with investment strategy

The field of ESG consulting solutions is expanding rapidly, especially owing to the impact of several factors including rising regulations, a speedy transition towards the creation of a low carbon economy, and attractive incentives for addressing sustainability.

Regulatory requirements hold a strong control over ESG promotion, not only requiring corporate entities and financial institutions to be aware of the evolving ESG trends, but also expecting them to monitor and disclose relevant data to investors for capital allocation.

Moreover, growing realisation of the need for embracing sustainability in maintaining trust and prominence is driving companies to act on ESG considerations more seriously.

Ogier, a prominent global professional services firm, offers a range of service solutions for sustainable investment strategies. With a dedicated Sustainable Investment Consulting business, in addition to its Sustainable Investing and Impact Funds legal practice, the firm has built a distinguished place in the industry by extending its spectrum of services across consulting, legal, and regulatory domains.

Integrated Consulting and legal services

Ogier's sustainable investment consulting business serves asset managers including alternatives, venture capital and private equity, asset owners and corporates, across APAC, Europe, UK, and the US. The firm’s Sustainable Investment Consulting team focuses on tailored design, integration, management, and reporting solutions to its clients. The consulting team works alongside Ogier's lawyers where clients require both legal and ESG services. This is a unique combination of services.  Consulting services are also available independent of legal services to clients.

Ogier's sustainable investment experts also collaborate with financial institutions, gaining deep insights and knowledge of industry best practices, enabling them to design an integrated approach to client deliverables, connecting sustainability with investment strategies.

A commitment to sustainability

Ogier is also deeply committed to sustainability as a firm and has implemented a management system aligned with ISO 14001 standards.

“Our firm's goal is for sustainability to be embedded in our culture and permeate our business at every level. Ogier's focus is on continual improvement through setting challenging targets, allocating the right resources and approaching decisions and activities with a sustainability mindset. As part of this approach, we have set ambitious carbon emissions reduction targets grounded in climate science in line with the global net zero goal through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), and we are members of the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance (NZLA) – an organization we are working with to develop industry best practices. We were the first offshore law firm to make these commitments.

“We have committed to reducing our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 50 percent by 2030”, shares Leonie Kelly, global head of Sustainable Investment Consulting.

The wide range of sustainability projects and initiatives include business travel, daily commute, reduction of waste, and more, with the aim of reducing its carbon footprint, and maximizing energy efficiency, highlighting the company’s devotion to fulfil on its NZLA commitments.

Taking this further, the company has also worked tirelessly to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace by introducing a 40-40-20 hiring policy which dictates hiring 40 percent females, 40 percent males, and 20 percent either males, females or non-binary candidates. In addition to various other commitments and policies made in this regard, Ogier was the first offshore firm to voluntarily publish pay gap data.

Becoming a partner for change

With the aim of elevating the position of ESG and sustainability protocols from regulatory compliance requirements to embedded norms guiding a company’s strategies and growth initiatives, Ogier, also imparts awareness and knowledge to clients and other key stakeholders. “Our work evolves around education and training delivered through webinars and in-person events for our clients. Our commitment to partnering for change is showcased through the Talent4Impact programme which we founded in partnership with Dream Impact and Sustainable Finance Initiative (SFi) in 2020. The Hong Kong based programme is designed to build a pipeline of ESG and impact-ready talent for the marketplace by supporting more professionals with practical work experience in the industry.

“We have also released an online training called ESG Align to help asset managers get up to speed with ESG themes, terminology and regulatory requirements”, further shares Leonie.

Future roadmap

As Ogier charts its path for future success, it aspires to become an ESG pro partner of choice for clients across legal, regulatory, and consulting solutions. The firm anticipates an incoming trend defined by ESG’s potential to become the new norm driven by client demand and the subsequent rise in expectations for more tailored solutions.

Furthermore, the company expects technological advancements to reshape the landscape by making information gathering easier, making deeper expertise a valuable resource. Leveraging its extensive network of experts across sectors, spread across the globe, Ogier comfortably sits in a favourable position to fulfil these evolving demands, and more in years to come.