Services / Strategy
StrategyESG strategy · Qatar and the GCC
ESG strategy that a board can approve and a lender can test
We help GCC companies decide which sustainability issues matter to the business, set targets they can hit, and build the governance to deliver them.
What it is
The short version
An ESG strategy answers three questions. Which environmental, social and governance issues affect the value of this business? What will we commit to? Who is accountable for delivery?
It is not a brochure. A good strategy starts with a materiality assessment, links each material topic to a risk or an opportunity, sets measurable targets, and assigns owners and budgets. It also defines what data you must collect so that progress can be reported and assured later.
We build strategies that sit inside the business plan, not next to it. That means targets are costed, owners sit in operations and finance, and the board sees ESG risk alongside other principal risks.
Who needs it in the GCC
Who we work with
- Companies listed on Qatar Stock Exchange and other GCC exchanges, where investors increasingly ask for ESG data and targets.
- Family groups and private companies preparing for a listing, a bond issue or a sale.
- Suppliers to national oil companies, government entities and multinationals that now send ESG questionnaires as part of tendering.
- Borrowers from banks that must report under the Qatar Central Bank sustainability framework, as lenders start asking clients for emissions and transition data.
Why now
The ground has shifted across the region. Qatar Central Bank issued an ISSB-aligned Sustainability Reporting Framework for banks and insurers in December 2025, applying from 1 January 2026. Those banks will need data from their corporate clients. Qatar Stock Exchange has published ESG reporting guidance for listed companies since 2016, and investor expectations have moved well beyond it.
Exporters to the EU now face CBAM costs on carbon-intensive goods. A strategy written without these drivers is already out of date.
What we deliver
Concrete outputs, not slides
Every engagement ends with files your team owns and can reuse next year.
- Double materiality assessment with stakeholder input and a documented method
- ESG risk and opportunity register linked to your enterprise risk framework
- Targets and KPIs with baselines, owners and data sources
- Governance model: board oversight, management committee terms of reference and roles
- Three-year roadmap with costed initiatives and quick wins
- Board briefing pack and a short strategy document for external use
How we work
Four steps
- 01
Diagnose
We review your current disclosures, policies, data and the requests you receive from banks, investors and customers.
- 02
Assess materiality
Interviews and a structured survey with management and key stakeholders. We score impact and financial materiality separately.
- 03
Set direction
Workshops with leadership to agree priorities, targets and the governance model. We test each target against data you can actually collect.
- 04
Plan and hand over
A costed roadmap, KPI definitions and a board pack. Your team owns it from day one.
Free tool
QCB readiness checklist
Lending to Qatari banks? See what they will ask you for.
FAQ
Common questions
How long does an ESG strategy take?
Most strategies take eight to twelve weeks from kick-off to board approval. The main variable is how quickly stakeholders can be interviewed.
Do we need a materiality assessment first?
Yes. Without one, targets are guesses. Materiality also underpins any later report under ISSB or GRI, so it is work you only do once if done properly.
What is double materiality?
It looks at two directions. How sustainability issues affect your financial position, and how your business affects people and the environment. ISSB focuses on the first, GRI on the second. We assess both so one exercise serves both standards.
Will the strategy include emissions targets?
If climate is material, and for most GCC industrial and real estate companies it is, yes. Targets are based on a measured baseline, not an estimate.
Can you work with our existing sustainability team?
Yes. We often act as the method and challenge function while your team owns the content and relationships.
Tell us your deadline
Send us the report date, the lender request or the project brief. We reply within one working day with what applies and what it takes.
Contact us