ESG at Dow Schofield Watts

Empowering our people to reach their potential and develop sustainable businesses

Our goals

At DSW, we are deeply passionate about ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and understand the importance of constantly striving for improvement. Our ultimate goal is to empower our people to reach their potential and develop sustainable businesses which best serve the needs of their clients and local communities. We plan to achieve this by making our ESG programs accessible to the entire DSW Network, allowing for regional and national oversight of what really matters. We believe that by working together, we can make a positive impact on the world and create a brighter future for all.

Our ESG Cornerstones

We understand the importance of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) values and have built our ESG framework on four cornerstones.

Social & Environmental

We aim to make a positive, long-term impact on our local communities whilst minimising our impact on the environment.

Diversity & Inclusion

We aim to create a diverse and inclusive environment for our people, recognising the benefits a broad range of perspectives can bring to the progression and success of the business.

Empowering Our People

Empowering our People

We aim to empower our people to be the best that they can be and build successful and sustainable businesses.

Responsible Business Practices

Responsible business practices

We aim to promote a culture based on ethical values and behaviours that align with our stakeholders.

These cornerstones were developed in 2022 in collaboration with our stakeholders, who increasingly value companies with strong ESG principles at their core. We began this process in 2022, following guidance published by QCA and conducting extensive research to identify the most pressing ESG issues facing companies in our size and industry. We then conducted a materiality assessment to identify the environmental and social issues that pose opportunities and risks to our business. Based on this, we identified 14 areas where DSW could have the most positive impact and split them into four cornerstones, ensuring that we monitor our progress and continue to make a meaningful impact. We then benchmarked these areas against the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for a sustainable future and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) recommendations.

Meet the committee!

Our ESG committee is composed of volunteers who take on the responsibility of meeting quarterly to review progress and explore new initiatives, ensuring accountability and continuous advancement towards our ESG goals. The outcomes of our meetings are shared across DSW, and the committee members act as ambassadors within the organization, providing a channel for others to give feedback on their ideas and priorities.

“As ESG Chair, I’m immensely proud of our committee’s progress. At DSW, ESG is not just a buzzword; these principles are fundamental to our success. We aim to be ‘best in class’, and by embedding ESG considerations into our decision-making processes we strive for excellence, not merely compliance. We remain committed to engaging with our people to incorporate their insights, perspectives, and priorities when shaping our ESG strategy.”

“Together, we forge a path towards a more responsible, equitable, and prosperous future—one where ESG isn’t just a checkbox, but a compass guiding our actions.”