Market demands have influenced companies to act in accordance with aspects of ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance - Environmental, Social and Governance in Portuguese), whose pillars, although interconnected, have their own criteria for their implementation. In addition to good practices of concern for the environment, ESG also promotes inclusion and transparency. In 2019, the Global Reporting Initiative - GRI already reported that 93% of the world's largest companies by revenue already reported their ESG performance.
This means that corporate social responsibility is bringing about changes in habits and promoting economic development actions in companies, not only in the sense of growing financially, but in relation to the responsibility that companies must have with the environment and with people.
The S for the acronym ESG deals with the Social pillar and refers precisely to how a company's decisions and actions impact society as a whole.
And how can a company promote transformations that contribute to a more just society?
The answer lies in the strategic alignment of business culture, generating transparency and sustainable development through human bias, ethical attitudes that benefit quality of life and respect for human rights.
To make a positive impact on the world, companies must start their actions internally, starting with their employees and reaching all of their stakeholders , such as nearby communities and consumers of your products or services. A survey conducted by the Federation of Industries of the State of Paraná in 2020 showed that 87% of Brazilian consumers prefer to purchase products from sustainable companies and 70% of them prefer to pay more for products or services that follow principles of sustainable development. This data reflects the social impact that companies are already causing with the products and services they offer.
The promotion of equity and diversity, observance of labor rights, commitment to social development, combating forms of discrimination and encouraging professional development are some of the relevant issues from the perspective of social responsibility. The social element can provide a long-term vision that transmits trust, security, inclusion and effective engagement of the parties involved, in addition to reinterpreting the role of companies in society and how they can help solve problems that are worsening, such as people's mental health.
The ESG S focuses on organizational policies and practices that are related to human rights and business ethics. This pillar is proving to be increasingly relevant, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic scenario, which made social inequality even more evident, changed behaviors and increased concern regarding this aspect of mental health. Research by the Ipsos Institute, commissioned by the World Economic Forum, showed that 53% of Brazilians noticed a worsening of their mental state between 2020 and 2021. Already in 2021, another survey conducted by the FMUSP with about 2,117 participants in the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health, showed that the occurrence of mental disorders affects more than 20% of the population and that the levels of anxiety and depression symptoms remain at high levels.
Excessive self-charging, combined with factors such as concern for stability and pressure for results, are some of the main reasons that lead employees to these disorders and that is why talking about mental health in companies has never been more necessary. Today, investors and consumers have a closer look at what companies are doing to improve this scenario, what they are practicing to be more welcoming to their employees, and how much they are being included in their hiring. Companies that are concerned with the organizational climate and with offering well-being to people have a better reputation and added value to their business in the long term.
Campaigns such as the Yellow September, created in Brazil in 2015 by the Center for the Valuation of Life (CVV), the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM) and the Brazilian Psychiatric Association (ABP) and whose main objective is to prevent suicide, are gaining increasing attention in companies every year. Research indicates that every forty seconds a person commits suicide worldwide and this data is enough to mobilize awareness about the importance of mental health care. Specifically in Brazil, according to information from the WHO - World Health Organization, since 2017 the Brazilian people have been the most anxious in the world. Around 12 thousand suicides are registered in the country every year, about 32 a day, making it the second leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 29 in the world.
And the numbers don't stop there. Recent research by Vital Strategies together with the Federal University of Pelotas, showed that those diagnosed with depression rose from 9.6% before the pandemic to 13.5% in 2022. Also according to research by the Ipsos Institute for the World Bank, 53% of Brazilians report a worsening of mental well-being between 2020 and 2021. The Brazilian Psychiatric Association mentions that a quarter of the population has, had, or will have depression throughout their lives.
DataSUS recently announced that in the last 20 years, suicides in Brazil have risen from 7 thousand to 14 thousand, more than one every hour, not counting the cases that were not reported. According to the same research, the number of cases of anxiety disorders increased 25.6% and those of depression 27.6% in 2020 worldwide.
In a new report from 2022, the World Health Organization also reports that the COVID-19 crisis hampered and even prevented access to mental health services in many cases, raising fears about the increase in suicidal behavior. For this reason, the WHO itself advises practices such as limiting access to mechanisms that can be used to commit suicide, responsible media reporting, access to socio-emotional support services, and especially, the management and early identification of people who engage in suicidal behavior.
Where to seek help?
CVV — Center for the Valuation of Life
Volunteers answer calls 24 hours a day at the number 188:
Www.cvv.org.br
Mental Health Map
Site maps various types of service:
Www.mapasaudemental.com.br
Everyone must take part in the prevention of suicide cases and companies are developing practices for engaging their employees, in addition to implementing social responsibility management systems. In these cases, it is essential that project planning be consistent with the nature and impact of the activities, so that the initiatives are not seen as opportunistic.
In the current context, corporate sustainability practices are mandatory for companies that seek to create value in their own company and in the environment surrounding their operations, in the long term. Taticca Allinial Global Brazil provides services that assist companies in the search for sustainability from planning to implementation, monitoring and disclosure, including diagnosing the positioning of ESG practices and developing their strategies.