Diplomatic Council Advisory & Professional Services (DCAPS) combine management consulting with a global think tank and business network with UN consultative status
The Diplomatic Council Advisory & Professional Services (DCAPS) have been expanded to include a new service unit for ESG. This unit supports companies in the areas of environmental, social and governance issues. Michael Gutowski has taken over the global management of the new unit.
DCAPS is the management consulting unit of the Diplomatic Council, a global think tank and international business network with consultative status at the United Nations. Combining management consulting with a global network that advises the UN and includes C-level executives, academics and ambassadors, DCAPS is predestined to solve complex challenges. DCAPS distinguishes itself from all similar offerings on the global market, for example from mere consulting companies, through its global network of experienced interim managers. More than consultants, these managers not only act in an advisory capacity, but also actively work on the respective tasks as temporary managers. DCAPS offers a choice of both: Consulting and Interim Management, so that the best possible combination can be selected depending on requirements. DCAPS also supports companies in putting together an advisory board.
At DCAPS, the Diplomatic Council works closely with partner organizations. These include United Interim, the leading community for interim managers, and Steinbeis Augsburg Business School, a recognized training center for C-level managers. With the latter, the Diplomatic Council has for the first time launched an ESG certificate valid for European companies that complies with the guidelines of the United Nations. Further ESG partnerships are planned in the course of 2024.
From the UN to the EU
The term and concept of ESG criteria were first introduced by the United Nations in 2004. Behind this is a set of standards based on the UN's Six Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). These six principles are aimed at company owners, managers and investors and impose the following voluntary commitments on them:
Principle 1: We will incorporate ESG considerations into our investment analysis and decision-making processes.
Principle 2: We will actively integrate ESG issues into our corporate policies and practices.
Principle 3: We will seek appropriate disclosure of ESG issues by companies.
Principle 4: We will promote the acceptance and implementation of ESG principles.
Principle 5: We will work together to increase our effectiveness in implementing the ESG principles.
Principle 6: We will report on our activities and progress in implementing the ESG principles.
The six United Nations principles have given rise to numerous legal frameworks, including the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) and the EU Taxonomy Regulation (2020/852/EU). While the NFRD only applies to large, capital market-oriented companies with more than 500 employees, the CSRD significantly expands the circle of companies that must disclose information on how they deal with issues such as environmental protection, human rights and diversity by removing capital market orientation as a criterion.
Inquiries are welcome at dcaps(at)diplomatic-council.org.