VFS Global links senior managers’ performance to sustainability goals

VFS Global, the outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions across the globe, is linking the performances of senior management for 2022 to sustainability targets for the same period.

This is part of the organisation’s long-term sustainability strategy with a focus on environment, social and governance (ESG) key performance indicators (KPIs) rolled out in 2021.

Zubin Karkaria, founder and chief executive officer, VFS Global, feels this is a way to “ensure that our ESG commitments are supported by measurable actions, which are consistently reviewed and improved upon”.

The inclusion of sustainability targets in executive management by objectives (MBOs) will encourage the leaders of the organisation to “lead the change in mindsets”. As Karkaria put it, “It aligns with our overarching goal of being a responsible global leader contributing to sustainable value creation for all our stakeholders”.

The Company has identified five pillars – contributing to sustainable economic growth, delivering good governance, nurturing our colleagues, protecting our environment and supporting our communities.

Each of these pillars is aligned to the organisation’s business strategy, the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals, as well as national priorities. There is also a considerable focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), employee empowerment and reduction of GHG emissions, which are a part of the MBOs of the senior executives.

The Company already has a healthy women to men ratio of 58:42 and is now working to exceed 28 per cent representation of women in leadership in the next years.

Striving for an overall employee engagement score of minimum 67 per cent is a key driver of its people-management strategy.

VFS is taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to the global efforts of tackling climate change. One of the key metrics identified is to achieve a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions per employee through the transition of 52 per cent of the electricity consumption to renewable energy.