Enterprises today face rising investor pressure to embed ESG principles into strategy. PwC’s Global Investor Survey 2024 has revealed that about 70% of global investors expect companies to integrate ESG directly into their corporate agenda. Enterprises are turning to GCCs to meet this demand as they offer the scale, structure, and reach to coordinate these efforts globally. This central role positions ESG in GCCs as a strategic lever to build sustainable enterprise value across regions.
how are GCCs driving ESG transformation?
GCCs play a pivotal role in reshaping how enterprises deliver their ESG commitments. They bring structure, consistency, and global coordination to every ESG initiative, shifting from fragmented efforts to integrated, high-impact initiatives.
centralising regulatory alignment
A unified GCC-led compliance function gives enterprises a single place to interpret evolving ESG rules, frameworks, and standards. This reduces fragmentation and ensures every market follows the same benchmarks.
standardising data foundations for integrity
Shifting ESG efforts to GCCs helps consolidate data from multiple markets and business units, and improve data quality through:
- Shared data definitions
- Unified reporting templates
- Consistent validation controls
This strong baseline improves ESG score reliability and stakeholder trust.
integrating siloed ESG activities
ESG in GCCs breaks down fragmented efforts by linking sustainability, legal, finance, procurement, risk, and operations under one coordinated umbrella. This creates a connected ESG operating model that accelerates decision-making.
strengthening programme governance
A central programme office inside the GCC ensures ESG initiatives follow the same governance rhythm by:
- Tracking progress and milestones
- Monitoring dependencies
- Managing cross-regional risks
- Supporting issue resolution
amplifying innovation for sustainable value
GCCs act as sustainability innovation hubs. They test and deploy tools such as AI-powered ESG analytics in GCCs, digital carbon estimators, automated disclosures, and risk-scoring engines that enhance transparency.
expanding stakeholder engagement
As a cross-border function, GCCs manage communication with regulators, customers, investors, and suppliers. Their global view ensures a unified narrative, end-to-end accountability, and stronger trust.
This streamlined structure helps enterprises scale GCCs while driving ESG transformation with clarity and consistency.
ESG best practices for GCCs to build sustainable global enterprises
As enterprises mature in their ESG ambition, GCCs take on a broader mandate to standardise, coordinate, and accelerate sustainability initiatives across regions and business units. Here are ESG best practices for GCCs that help strengthen global ESG capabilities and drive sustainable enterprise value through GCCs:
building unified ESG governance frameworks
Strong governance gives enterprises the structure required to manage global ESG demands. GCCs set policies, create controls, and define global standards that ensure consistency across regions.
executing ESG risk and resilience programmes
GCCs can run enterprise-wide ESG risk assessments, climate-risk modelling, and scenario planning to strengthen resilience across supply chains and operations. This helps enterprises prepare for disruptions and build resilience into long-term planning.
driving transparent ESG reporting and assurance
A GCC-led reporting capability enables accurate, timely, and comparable disclosures aligned with global standards that strengthen credibility with regulators and investors. This includes:
- Automated report generation
- Data lineage tracking
- Audit-ready evidence management
advancing AI-led ESG analytics
Enterprises can deploy AI-powered ESG analytics in GCCs to:
- Predict ESG risks
- Estimate carbon footprints
- Enhance supplier scoring
- Support real-time dashboards
This raises the quality and speed of ESG insights, supporting data-driven sustainability decisions.
scaling sustainable supply chain practices
GCCs support procurement and supply chain teams in improving transparency and responsibility by:
- Evaluating supplier compliance
- Tracking sustainable procurement KPIs
- Building supplier development programmes
embedding inclusive workforce strategies
ESG in GCCs enhances diversity and inclusion by managing global hiring, upskilling, equitable pay frameworks, and bias-free recruitment frameworks. This strengthens social impact and employee experience across markets.
strengthening community and social impact initiatives
GCC teams help manage global CSR initiatives by designing programmes, coordinating partnerships, and measuring community impact. This helps enterprises create shared value at scale.
enabling enterprise-wide climate action
GCCs drive ESG transformation by supporting decarbonisation plans through:
- Carbon accounting systems
- Energy optimisation models
- Net-zero scenario planning
advancing circular economy approaches
GCCs help design enterprise-level frameworks for waste reduction, resource efficiency, and recycled-material adoption. This helps align enterprise strategy and global operations with circular economy goals.
building ESG capability and culture
GCCs run global ESG training, capability-building programmes, and learning pathways that raise sustainability maturity across teams and help build a future-ready workforce.
maturity stages for ESG in GCCs
ESG maturity influences how much value a GCC can deliver. Four stages typically emerge:
- Basic: Focus on compliance checklists, manual reporting, and limited cross-functional coordination.
- Established: Standardised templates, governance routines, and structured reporting cycles.
- Advanced: Integrated data systems, predictive analytics, cross-regional controls, and strong supplier oversight.
- Leading: Full-scale ESG transformation engine delivering sustainable enterprise value through GCCs with global accountability, automation, and AI-driven insights.
Infosys BPM supports ESG-led transformation through scalable GCC services that support ESG governance, data integration, AI-powered analytics, reporting, and cross-regional coordination. This helps enterprises accelerate maturity and unlock stronger ESG outcomes.
conclusion
GCCs give enterprises the structure, scale, digital capabilities, and global consistency required to lead the ESG agenda. Their central role helps align strategies, strengthen governance, and improve decision-making across functions. As expectations rise, enterprises that harness ESG in GCCs will unlock stronger resilience, deeper stakeholder trust, and more sustainable long-term value.
