SOME KEY TAKE-OUTS FROM THE LATEST JOHN COLLIER SURVEY

By Alistair Collier | The Business of Golf Magazine

As World environment day (5th June) and the announcement of the John Collier Survey’s annual awards, approaches, BG took the chance to ask Alistair Collier (AC), who is the founder and author of the survey, what he felt could be seen as the main takeaways this year.

As a reminder for those of you who do not follow BG regularly, the survey focuses on evaluating golf clubs’ environmental compliance, social responsibility, and good governance based on the ESG framework.

AC: I think that it would be fair to say that the key elements include the importance of social responsibility, education and training, legislative compliance, working environment and employment equity, health and safety, and outreach programmes in the golf industry.

BG: Where are the main areas of concern for you, when looking at this year’s results?

AC: Overall, the survey highlights a decline in compliance levels across various focus areas, which includes – environmental management planning, biodiversity, landscape and cultural
heritage, water resource management, turf-grass management, waste management, and energy management. The need for improvement in dealing with ESG matters, particularly in the area of governance, should be seen against the background of legislative compliance, which is important for golf clubs, especially as there have been new subordinate legislations that impact golf. I would like to think that the survey is effective in emphasizing the relevance of sustainable development goals (SDGs), and in guiding golf clubs towards
responsible and sustainable practices.

BG: The compliance levels of golf clubs in South Africa have declined for the fourth year in a row to 29%, indicating a need for improvement in compliance with governance principles and ESG matters, so does this concern you, as it could indicate a trend?

AC: It does, especially if you see that we are ‘retreating’ across a broad front, a summary of which is as follows:

Declining compliance in environmental management planning: The compliance level for clubs having a formal integrated environmental management policy and programme has dropped to 37%.
Low participation in third-party reviews: In terms of participation in independent third-party reviews, and as a general observation many clubs are reluctant to participate in external validation. Notwithstanding that data is collected from 208 clubs throughout South Africa, this reluctance is further supported by the fact that only 20% of clubs participate in other independent third-party reviews.
Lack of formal biodiversity policies: Despite international documents emphasising the importance of enhancing biodiversity and preserving forests, only 25% of clubs have a formal biodiversity policy and programme in place.

Limited landscape assessments and consultations: The number of clubs carrying out formal landscape assessments, and engaging in consultations on landscape and heritage issues remains low, indicating a lack of understanding of the importance of sustainable stewardship of land and cultural heritage.
Low compliance in water management: Compliance levels for having a formal water management policy and plan and monitoring the quality of irrigation water are at 25% and 28% respectively, highlighting potential risks in water resource management.
Limited waste management policies: Only 33% of clubs have a formal waste management policy and programme.
Sustainable energy efficiency: Compliance levels for having a formal sustainable energy efficiency policy and programme remain at 33%, suggesting a real need for a greater focus on energy management and efficiency.

BG: Where do you see a way forward, and what key interventions do you feel it might take to reverse these trends?

AC: My two top picks would be leadership, wherein the country’s bodies and associations are in the vanguard of encouraging compliance, and the second would be much more effective communications around the subject matter. In combination these two should help to combat a range of challenges including:

Lack of awareness: Golf clubs may not be fully aware of the importance of compliance with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles and regulations, leading
to a lower priority being given to implementing and maintaining compliance measures.
Limited resources: Golf clubs, especially smaller ones, may face resource constraints in terms of finances, staff, and expertise.
Inadequate training and education: Golf clubs may lack the necessary training and education on ESG principles and regulations, making it difficult for them to understand and
implement the required compliance measures effectively.
Resistance to change: Some golf clubs may be resistant to change and may not see the value or benefits of implementing ESG practices.
Complexity of regulations: ESG regulations and principles are complex and constantly evolving, so clubs may struggle to keep up with the changing requirements, leading to non-compliance.
Lack of enforcement: Should there be the perception that non-compliance with ESG principles and regulations goes unpunished, or is not rigorously enforced, some golf clubs may be less motivated to prioritise compliance.

These are just some general ‘generic’ factors, but the exact causes of the decline in compliance levels, would need to be determined on a club-by-club basis.