Background

As the sustainability landscape evolves, investors, donors, rating agencies, and regulators are increasingly demanding non-financial commitments and disclosure, as proof of impact. ESG reporting is a critical tool for organizations to demonstrate their contribution to climate action, inclusive development, and responsible governance.

On the other hand, internal stakeholders seek transparency on workplace practices and governance, communities expect disclosure of social and economic impacts, and on the environment; accountable reporting on resource use, emissions, and biodiversity protection.

Across East Africa, a growing number of companies, cooperatives, and NGOs are taking steps to publish their impact stories in the form of ESG or sustainability reports, often on an annual basis. Yet, these efforts rarely receive the visibility or constructive peer engagement they deserve.

In particular:

• Many smaller organizations lack practical exposure to real-world examples of ESG disclosure especially from locally relevant contexts.
• There are few, widely accessible and inclusive, regional platforms to publicly showcase ESG reports to stakeholders, peers, regulators, investors, and development partners.
• Success stories and lessons learned are rarely shared widely, meaning pioneering efforts often go unnoticed and cannot inspire broader uptake across sectors.
• Opportunities to build trust and credibility through transparent reporting remain untapped, hindering stronger relationships with stakeholders and access to funding or partnerships.

About SCN

The Sustainability Champions Network (SCN) is a growing regional platform that connects ESG and sustainability professionals, practitioners, and purpose-driven organizations across East Africa. SCN was established to foster a community of practice that promotes shared learning, visibility, and collaborative action in the sustainability space.

Through monthly forums, toolkits, peer-to-peer learning sessions, and strategic partnerships, SCN provides members with practical opportunities to:

● Showcase their impact,
● Strengthen ESG capacity, and
● Co-create shared value across sectors and value chains.

The Network aims to make sustainability practical and inclusive by offering:

● Monthly engagement forums such as workshops, ESG coffee circles, and site visits
● Custom toolkits and light-assessment tools tailored to early-stage ESG adopters
● Peer learning and storytelling spaces to elevate local impact and leadership
● A tiered membership structure welcoming individuals, organizations, and institutional partners

August Coffee Circle

The August convening is part of SCN’s wider strategy to strengthen regional ESG capacity, encourage transparent impact storytelling, and build a pipeline of practical case studies that others can learn from and act on.

It forms part of our monthly ‘ESG Coffee Circles’ – A relaxed, knowledge-sharing forum that brings together sustainability champions for informal conversations around ESG trends, challenges, and practical solutions.

In May 2025, SCN hosted its inaugural Networking Forum in Nairobi, bringing together over 60 ESG professionals and stakeholders from more than 40 organizations, ranging from corporates, SMEs, NGOs, and development partners.

The event generated strong online engagement across LinkedIn and other platforms, revealing a clear appetite for ongoing peer learning and cross-sector dialogue. From participant reflections and feedback, a strong need emerged for a platform that highlights real ESG journeys, shares local impact stories, and supports organizations in advancing their impact reporting efforts.

In August, the Coffee Circle unites companies in an event that celebrates innovation and showcases ESG reporting, offering practical lessons to inspire the wider community.

● A peer learning space where ESG champions across sectors grow together, learning from real reporting journeys that prove change is possible.
● A platform to showcase ESG and impact stories from pioneer organizations launching or refining their reports—turning commitment into action.
● A forum to demystify reporting processes, empowering SMEs,cooperatives, and NGOs to take the first step toward transparent, accountable, and impactful sustainability practices.

Participants will hear firsthand from organizations with pioneering and purpose-driven ESG reports, including how they approached data, storytelling, materiality, and stakeholder engagement.

Target Audience:

• Organizations preparing or launching ESG reports
• SMEs, SACCOs, and cooperatives initiating ESG practices
• Development partners, funders, technical advisors, and regulators
• SCN’s members:

-Students, Youth, grassroots, or first-time ESG practitioners
-SMEs and NGOs building ESG systems
-Development agencies, corporates, and ESG professionals