AIS hosts an ESG and impact measurement seminar-workshop featuring Mr Alex Kaufman of UNDP

Last 27 February 2025, the Ateneo Institute of Sustainability (AIS) hosted a seminar-workshop entitled, “Sustainability Basics: An Introduction to ESG, Double Materiality, and Impact Measurement and Management” held at Heyden Hall, Manila Observatory. The seminar-workshop was given by Mr. Alex Kaufman, a visiting consultant for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Aimed to contribute to AIS’ mission of mainstreaming sustainability, the event gathered a small group of selected stakeholders that are supporters of sustainability from within and outside the university.

The seminar featured Mr. Alex Kaufman as its guest speaker, an ESG & SDG capacity development consultant for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). He is also a senior advisor of the Global Standards, an internationally recognized certification and training body by different accreditation organizations to carry out certification audits, supplier audits, and compliance evaluations under the requirements of various international standards, as well as  a provider of specialized training courses.

Mr. Kaufman tackled global business practices, stakeholder models, corporate social responsibility, sustainability reporting, and what ESG is. During the session, the participants worked on one of the most common challenges being faced by sustainability practitioners nowadays — making a business case for investing in sustainability initiatives. The case study allowed the participants to practice discussing and justifying the need to invest in certain sustainability initiatives.

Recognizing that sustainability is a global concern, AIS keeps its doors open to such activities that would foster sharing of knowledge, not only from local resource persons, but from foreign speakers as well given that sustainability is a global goal. AIS equally values insights from sustainability professionals from outside the country in order to learn perspectives that are seen from a different geological standpoint which would ultimately allow everyone to stay widely informed.