Independent ESG Consulting and Advisory Services
About Koru ESG
Koru ESG is an independent environmental, social and governance (ESG) consulting firm providing advice and support to investors, issuers and other consulting firms on all aspects of ESG.
Headquartered in Vancouver, Koru ESG was founded by Jason Milne, an experienced investment industry professional who has specialized in ESG, corporate governance and responsible investment in Canada for the last 20 years.
Realizing there was a need for a more flexible ESG resource that small and mid-sized investment managers, asset owners and issuers could access on an “as needed” basis, Jason founded Koru ESG with a focus on providing flexible, bespoke ESG advice and services targeted at small and mid-sized organizations – and tailored specifically to the individual client’s needs, including budget and timeline.
Organizations need to begin addressing ESG issues, but often simply do not have the internal knowledge, expertise or capacity to do so. Aside from the difficulties in defining and understanding what ESG actually is, there is also a growing need to provide effective reporting and disclosure, however this can be challenging given a lack of consistency and multiple reporting frameworks.
Koru ESG solves these challenges by helping senior management and boards better understand what ESG is, so they can decide the most effective way to address these issues within their organization. We can assess current ESG practices and identify what ESG issues are material for the organization, help build the internal processes to provide effective oversight and monitoring of the material ESG issues, and offer expert advice in order that the organization can provide meaningful, decision useful disclosure of ESG practices to its stakeholders.
Backed by a depth of experience and expertise from both the investor and issuer perspective on ESG issues, we specialize in a wide range of offerings to our clients.
About Jason Milne
As a highly experienced investment industry professional, I have specialized in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), corporate governance and responsible investment in Canada for the last 20 years.
My name is Jason Milne, and I am an ESG Advisor and the Founder of Koru ESG, an independent ESG consulting firm providing advice and support to investors and issuers on material ESG issues.
Working in ESG consulting since leaving my role at RBC Global Asset Management (RBC GAM) in early 2019, I was previously with RBC GAM (and Phillips, Hager & North prior to the merger with RBC GAM) for 19 years where my responsibilities included ESG integration, corporate governance and proxy voting, and socially responsible investing (SRI).
Prior to RBC GAM, I worked in investment banking and as a mutual fund accountant. I have also served as a board member of the Responsible Investment Association of Canada (RIA) from 2011, including four years as Chair, before stepping down in 2019.
A CFA charter holder, I hold a CPA, CGA designation, a BComm (Economics) from the University of Otago in New Zealand, and I am a SASB Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting (FSA) credential holder.
When I moved into ESG consulting in 2019, I soon realized there was a need for a more flexible ESG resource that small and mid-sized investment managers, asset owners and issuers could access on an “as needed” basis.
This need for guidance and advice is often at the beginning of the ESG integration journey. Questions like “what is ESG?”, “why is it important for our organization?” and “where do we start?” can seem overwhelming for small and mid-sized organisations with limited resources.
This led to the founding of Koru ESG with a focus on providing flexible, bespoke ESG advice and services targeted at small and mid-sized organizations – and tailored specifically to the individual client’s needs, including budget and timeline.
To discuss how I can provide support or advice on any ESG-related issues or initiatives, please contact me.
Services
Backed by a depth of experience and expertise from both the investor and issuer perspective on ESG issues, Koru ESG specialize in a wide range of offerings to our clients, including:
- ESG education for the board and senior management.
- Analysis and review of ESG research provider reports and recommendations to improve ESG ratings.
- ESG materiality assessments, peer reviews, and gap analysis.
- ESG reporting, monitoring and disclosure support including SASB, GRI, and TCFD.
- Support for investment managers and asset owners including RI and proxy voting policy development, ESG integration, investment manager oversight, and reporting and disclosure support.
- Advice and support regarding the creation and sale of carbon credits or buying carbon credits to offset emissions.
- Any other ESG, responsible investing, and corporate governance services you require.
