ESGmark was founded by two long-standing colleagues, Portia Patel and Justin Bates, both top-ranked analysts working together in the investment industry in London, UK. They observed that ESG-focused investing is growing as a hugely important theme, with investors increasingly demanding that the companies they invest in meet their own Environmental, Social and Governance criteria.

The founders realised that organisations of all sizes, not just large national and global corporations, want to play a role in addressing the climate crisis and securing a fairer society for all. Their research led them to conclude that a new standard was required. It needed to simplify the complex subject of sustainability and provide a framework of straightforward action points for those seeking to make positive changes. Thus, ESGmark was born.