As the world shifts towards a more sustainable future, businesses must prioritize impact alongside profitability. Mere lip service won't suffice as consumers, investors, and governments demand greater transparency around ESG and impact performance. In this episode, I chat to Fleur Heyns - founder of impact intelligence platform, Proof about the future of impact and ESG.    Listen in as we discuss how advanced technologies such as AI and machine learning are transforming the ESG space, and the opportunities for businesses to leverage impact data to drive long-term positive change. We also tackle the key challenges and opportunities of transitioning to a green economy, the distinction between ESG in public markets and private markets, and the brass tacks of ESG as a CEO, entrepreneur, and business. Fleur and I dive into the importance of optimizing environmental and social data, discussing how reducing liabilities, disasters, and social responsibility issues are all crucial factors when it comes to ESG. We examine how ESG can become a value-add to a company when approached correctly, and how the focus of ESG has moved beyond a 'tick box exercise' to being a measurement of contribution. Additionally, we touch on the role of the SFDR Sustainable Finance Disclosure Requirements in creating a baseline for ESG data and a global checklist of 10 KPIs. We further discuss how companies can gather data to optimize their environmental and social impact, and how investors can use this data to make informed decisions. Fleur shares her insights on how digital data in emerging markets can be greater than that of more developed markets, the importance of understanding data gaps, and how to use proxy data as an interim step to fill these gaps. Don't miss this insightful conversation on sustainability, impact in business, and the potential of digital financial market transparency.  Tune in to discover how cutting-edge technologies like big data, blockchain, and AI are enabling organizations to get clarity on their ESG performance and implement practical changes to drive positive, long-term change.