Our Approach to ESG and Sustainability

We will continue to challenge ourselves, using our voice to drive action on sustainability and leading by example, to create a thriving society, driving economic growth for a greener sustainable future.

A strong focus on ESG is a business imperative

The Fund has built its reputation on being there for its members, customers and communities. The events of 2021 – the global Covid-19 pandemic, a societal reckoning with financial distress and the increasingly visible effects of climate change – underscore why understanding, anticipating and effectively managing environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters is critical to delivering on our mission to making lives better for our members, customers and communities. Now, more than ever, a strong focus on ESG is a business imperative – and a key driver of long-term business success.

We are taking action on sustainability by using our business and brand to build a better future. For people. For the planet.

Our focus on long-term value creation and innovation positions sustainability at the heart of everything we do.
From our culture of integrity and inclusion, our strategic investments in education, health, youth, and how we manage our supply chain, to how we operate in support of environmental sustainability, our Corporate Social Investment (CSI) and business strategies are tightly integrated.

We continue to set ambitious sustainability targets. We are doing this through our sustainability action plan which is developed through continuous consultation with our stakeholders in different sectors of the economy. The Fund is taking action on six key social and environmental areas where we know we can have a significant impact, and which our stakeholders want us to prioritise.

Our six key social and environmental areas where we know we can have a significant impact are:

Climate
action

Consumer health and well-being

Electricity
conservation

Water
stewardship

The well-being of our people & those across our value chain

Our contribution
to our local communities

We are making progress in these areas, but we can’t stand still. We will continue to challenge ourselves, using our voice to drive action on sustainability and leading by example, to create a thriving society, driving economic growth for a greener sustainable future.

 

Our customers expect this from us because they want to do business with an institution they believe is socially and environmentally responsible. We are committed to meeting their expectations, and we hold ourselves accountable by continuing to report our progress in support of addressing the challenges of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 

In the pages ahead, you will learn about the impact we are making, and the programmes we are driving to make lives better, not only for our members but the communities within which we operate.

Pupils of Mutolere Primary School, one of our beneficiary schools renovated this year

NSSF has prioritised commitment to the following SDGs:

ESG MATERIALITY

Identifying and assessing ESG related risks is crucial to our business

At NSSF, ESG matters are an important consideration in how we do business, including our corporate governance systems, risk management and controls, human capital management, approach to serving clients and customers, support for local communities and management of our physical operations.

 

We recognise the potential for ESG-related risks, which we identify and assess, just as we manage risk in all areas of our business. Equally important, we believe companies like ours should put their businesses to work for the benefit of all of our stakeholders.

 

For NSSF, this means we are leveraging our business and policy expertise, data and capital to help drive an inclusive recovery, expand access to economic opportunity and accelerate sustainability and climate solutions.

ESG COMMITMENT

The Fund communicates regularly about how we manage and conduct our business.

 

We share information about our sustainability performance through several channels – including our annual Integrated Report and Audited Financial Statements, various other reports and presentations, regulatory filings, press releases and direct conversations with stakeholders.

 

We maintain a dedicated CSI Information page on our website to facilitate access to information that we publish on these topics.

Digital transformation has been at the forefront of the Fund’s business strategy

This report is our opportunity to share our ESG positioning, commitments and journey with our stakeholders, as well as how we are aligning/evolving our business to ensure we remain relevant beyond where we are today – delivering value and continuing to be a force for good in the communities we serve.

While this content element will demonstrate our commitment to ESG we intend to formalise our ESG processes and practices.

To achieve this:
  • The Fund is in the process of sourcing an external service provider to conduct a benchmarking exercise on ESG best practices.