Our Commitment to ESG
Why ESG Matters To Us
The Westly Group has a long track record of investing in companies that revolutionize industries and have a positive impact on the world.
We believe that disruption for good begins with the acknowledgement that our investment does not take place in a vacuum. Our investment areas – the digitization and sustainability of energy, mobility, buildings, industrial technology, and cybersecurity – are interconnected with secular trends from climate mitigation and adaptation, data privacy, and responsible AI to environmental justice and socioeconomic inequality.
The Westly Group developed an ESG strategy because we believe that understanding the intersections of innovative technologies and the above mentioned secular trends allows us to help our portfolio companies more effectively mitigate risk and create value.
Our ESG Journey
At Westly Group, we use the term ‘ESG’ to describe a dynamic set of environmental, social and governance matters impacting both our fund and our portfolio. We put these concerns at the core of our operations. We also recognize DEI as an interwoven set of practices across each E, S, and G topics because we believe diverse, inclusive, and equitable teams are foundational to strong ESG practices.
To learn more about how we define and approach ESG at Westly Group, please visit our ESG Policy.
We are committed to being open and transparent as we continue on our ESG journey. In our most recent 2021 ESG Report, we dive into:
- Our Definition of ESG
- Westly’s Internal Actions and Commitments
- ESG Performance data on the Westly Group’s portfolio
- Case Studies from of our few portfolio companies
Highlighted Companies
Guiding Standards
To guide our efforts, The Westly Group seeks adherence to the following international business standards established by multilateral organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), International Labor Organization (ILO), and United Nations (UN). We aim to ensure our efforts are aligned with the international business community with the following standards.
UN Guiding Principles on Business Human Rights (UN GPs)
ILO 8 Fundamental Conventions (ILO Conventions)
OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (OECD Guidelines)
Our Partnerships
By actively working with global ESG working groups, the Westly Group aims to put the above-mentioned guiding standards into action via strategic partnerships across VC landscape. By sharing and encouraging our practices with others, we hope to progress towards an equitable, inclusive, and ESG-integrated VC ecosystem.
Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI), a UN-supported agency dedicated to advancing responsible investing
VentureESG is a non-profit community-based organization provide guidance on concrete ESG practices (e.g. ESG framework, ESG policy) for VC firms
Diversity VC is a nonprofit helping drive diversity, equity and inclusion in Venture Capital
An organization created by leading global venture capital firms to define, facilitate, and realize net zero-aligned pathways for early-stage investments, launched today with a goal to build a robust movement within the venture industry to combat climate change.
Responsible innovation labs works at the intersection of founders and investors to create a new generation of high growth tech companies with responsible innovation at their core. Responsible Innovation Labs aims to align incentives through culture change, practical frameworks, and infrastructure.