Climate is no longer a future issue for boards – it is a current governance priority.
Boards that integrate climate considerations into strategy, risk management and performance monitoring are better equipped to safeguard long-term value, enhance resilience and ensure their organisations can compete and thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Recent findings from the Forvis Mazars C-suite Barometer 2026 show 32% of Irish executives rank sustainability as their top priority, compared with a global average of 21%.
Board-level ESG expertise is rising: 43% of Fortune 100 directors now hold relevant credentials, up from 21% in 2018. Yet gaps persist: 41% of smaller organisations’ boards lack a formal ESG governance approach. Strengthening climate literacy and board-level discussion remains critical.
To help close this gap, Forvis Mazars partnered on the Creative Boardroom: Collaborate4Climate initiative, an all-island programme designed to bring climate conversations into the boardroom in a practical and accessible way.
In collaboration with the Institute of Directors Ireland, the Institute of Directors Northern Ireland and Creative Futures Academy, the initiative focused on helping directors:
A key output of this work is the Creative Boardroom: Courageous Climate Conversations Guide, a practical tool to support structured, informed board discussions.
While boards need not be climate experts, asking the right questions is essential to effective oversight.
To support such conversations, the guide introduces a simple yet effective framework: Know, Act, Shout.
Effective governance begins with a shared understanding of how climate risk and opportunity intersect with the organisation’s strategic context. Directors should examine how climate trends could reshape markets, operations, and stakeholder expectations, while also recognising their organisation’s environmental impact.
Discussion prompts:
Awareness alone is not enough. Once the board has established a common foundation of climate understanding, the next step is to convert that knowledge into actionable plans.
The following prompts encourage executive teams to collaboratively explore solutions and prioritise initiatives. Primarily, the focus is on actions that are measurable, realistic and embedded into organisational performance indicators.
Boards must also establish transparent mechanisms for tracking progress, ensuring accountability across the organisation as climate commitments move from plans to implementation.
Discussion prompts:
Directors hold significant influence not just within their organisations, but across their industries and networks. This final theme calls on boards to share insights, highlight progress, communicate challenges openly and foster a culture of ongoing climate engagement.
Clear, transparent communication with employees, customers, regulators, and investors builds trust and reinforces the organisation’s long-term commitment to climate.
Discussion prompts:
Regardless of where an organisation stands on its sustainability journey, creating space for structured, evidence-based climate conversations is a critical step towards stronger governance. To move beyond reactive compliance and shape a resilient, future-ready organisation, boards should commit to engaging regularly, applying practical tools and deliberately embedding climate considerations into strategic decisions. Make these practices a standing agenda item at every board meeting to ensure ongoing action.
Forvis Mazars supports boards at every stage of their sustainability journey, from early awareness through to full integration.
We help organisations:
The Creative Boardroom: Collaborate4Climate initiative brought climate into real boardroom settings through:
Ultimately, the programme illustrates that with the right tools and structure, boards can move climate issues from abstract concerns to strategic priorities.
Forvis Mazars is delighted to partner with Iod Ireland on a new Briefing Series designed to support board members in navigating the evolving business landscape that starts on 23 April with a session entitled, Strategic Sustainability: Beyond Compliance.
Our latest study uncovers a business world embracing change, investing in technology and people, and reimagining strategies to stay ahead of disruption and competition. Success now rests on adaptability as much as ambition.
How boards can move from climate awareness to action
Irish business leaders are prioritising sustainability to drive growth.
Johnny Meehan, Head of Sustainability Consulting, recently spoke with Stephen Wynne-Jones from the Business Post to contribute to their Energy & Renewables: Planning Ireland's Energy Future Special Report, published in March 2026. The full text of the article is available below.
Sustainability and ESG must be at the heart of every organisation's business model
The Irish Government has committed to a climate action plan that includes achieving a 51% reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions by 2031 and sets a path to deliver net-zero emissions by no later than 2050.
To be effective, your ESG strategy must be fully integrated into your business model
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