How do you identify and mitigate ESG-related risks during onboarding?

Espria identifies and mitigates ESG-related risks as part of its standard onboarding governance, ensuring responsible delivery is embedded rather than treated as an afterthought.

These may include:

• Improper disposal of replaced devices or equipment
• Unnecessary hardware refreshes or overprovisioning
• Lack of audit trail for asset handling or data destruction
• Accessibility or inclusion impacts during user change
• Delivery approaches that increase environmental impact unnecessarily

Identifying these risks early allows them to be addressed before they become compliance or reputational issues.

Logging ESG risks within the RAID framework

Where ESG-related risks are identified, they are logged and governed through the same RAID framework used for other onboarding risks.

This ensures:

• ESG risks are visible and owned
• Mitigation actions are defined and tracked
• Dependencies or blockers are escalated where required

Treating ESG risks with the same discipline as service risks ensures they are actively managed.

Mitigation through planning and design

Mitigation actions are proportionate to risk and aligned with onboarding scope.

Examples include:

• Assessing reuse or refurbishment options before replacing devices
• Planning secure disposal or recycling routes for decommissioned equipment
• Avoiding unnecessary duplication of infrastructure during transition
• Sequencing changes to minimise waste or rework

Mitigation decisions are balanced against security, compliance and service continuity requirements.

Governance and accountability

Ownership for ESG-related risks during onboarding is clearly defined.

This includes:

• Named responsibility within the Transition Team
• Oversight through onboarding governance forums
• Escalation where ESG risks conflict with delivery timelines or technical constraints

This ensures ESG considerations are addressed transparently and with appropriate authority.

Evidence, audit and assurance

Where ESG obligations require evidence or reporting, Espria supports appropriate documentation during onboarding.

This may include:

• Asset tracking and disposal records
• Documentation of reuse or refurbishment decisions
• Evidence aligned to customer audit or reporting requirements

Evidence capture is proportionate and aligned with agreed success criteria.

Transition into BAU risk management

As onboarding completes, any ongoing ESG-related risks or actions are transferred into BAU governance.

This ensures:

• Continued visibility and accountability
• Ongoing reporting where required
• No loss of ownership post-transition

ESG risk management does not stop at go-live.

Key takeaway

Espria identifies and mitigates ESG-related risks during onboarding by embedding them into discovery, planning and governance, not managing them in isolation.

By applying the same structured controls used for technical and operational risk, we ensure responsible onboarding without compromising service quality, security or continuity.

Related questions

• Who is responsible for ensuring ESG-related actions are implemented and reported during transition?
• Can ESG-related measures be included in transition documentation if required?
• Can refurbished or low-impact devices be included in onboarding or deployment plans?