Impact Funding Partners
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2018-2021)
Reporting Period: 2018-2021
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Social Achievements
- 58 funded projects reached all target business sectors except Agriculture and Fishing. 290+ businesses participated, with resources shared widely.
- 96% of surveyed businesses agreed that their WEF project was good for business.
- 80% of businesses forged new partnerships, 72% sustained them beyond the fund.
- Improved knowledge, skills, policies, and practices to address employment inequalities.
- Progress made in addressing barriers and opportunities for women, older workers, and disabled workers.
Climate Goals & Targets
Environmental Challenges
- Weak direct uptake by businesses (only 6 directly funded).
- Pandemic constraints impacting planned recruitment initiatives.
- Short funding cycles hindering sustainable change.
- Low business understanding of diversity and inclusion.
- Time constraints for business participation.
- Disproportionate adverse effect of the pandemic on priority equality groups.
- Projected decline in international migration to Scotland.
- Digital exclusion of people without technology and skills.
- Low awareness of the WEF among private sector businesses.
Mitigation Strategies
- Third sector organizations led project orchestration.
- Businesses committed to resume paused activities when possible.
- Recommendations for longer funding cycles and a framework for consistent tracking of metrics.
- Entry-level workforce equality training to tackle institutional inequality.
- Recommendations for increased partnership working and peer support networks.
- Recommendations for addressing the economic impact of the pandemic on priority groups.
- Recommendation to include migrants and refugees as a priority group.
- Recommendations for upskilling and access to affordable technology.
- Recommendations for longer lead times and sector-relevant promotion.