Who I help

SMEs. Large Corporates. Private & listed companies. Family businesses.

How I help

Sustainability strategy.  ESG strategy. ESG planning & implementation. Sustainability engagement. ESG governance & policy. Sustainability coaching.

Sectors/Specialisms

Business Advisory. Construction & Property. Energy. Family Business. Food & Drink. Not For Profit. Public sector. Technology.

“My preferred approach is whatever the client needs and expects from me”

Craig White is an ESG Senior Manager within our ESG services team, based in our Edinburgh office. He provides high-impact, commercially focused sustainability and ESG advisory support to a diverse range of clients across the UK, EU, and Middle East.

Craig’s specialises in developing purpose-driven corporate sustainability and ESG strategies. He provides his clients with the roadmaps and the tools to ensure there is successful implementation of high-impact initiatives. Craig works closely with the wider AAB team including Business Advisory, AAB People and Corporate Finance to deliver a well-rounded high-quality service for his clients.

A synergistic partnership

“For me, an ideal client relationship is one that I can describe as a synergistic partnership. One that’s built on trust, mutual respect, empathy and integrity. Our focus is on helping our clients embed sustainability into their organisation and their projects. Our aim is to use that to create positive and impactful change.

We aim to surpass clients’ expectations by delivering a high-quality service with authenticity and honesty. The only way we’re able to do this is by firstly building strong relationships. The nature of ESG means we sometimes have to challenge current processes and opinions, by focusing on realism and insights and employing a problem-solving positive attitude.”

A positive impact on growth

“One of my favourite things about working in a team is being able to share knowledge and experiences to learn from one another. By collaborating effectively we can utilise the power that comes with that diversity of thought, experiences, cultures and perspectives. This invaluably has a positive impact on the professional and personal growth of all of us.”

Nothing is more important than our clients

“Regular contact with clients is a vital part of maintaining a relationship with them. My preferred approach is whatever the client needs and expects from me to provide a quality professional service. If they prefer to meet in-person, I’m happy to do that, or if they’re more comfortable speaking virtually or on the phone, that’s fine too. Nothing is more important than our clients, and it’s up to us to adopt an approach that best suits them.”

The benefits of ESG

“It’s an interesting time to be involved in the ESG sector. I’ve worked in sustainability and ESG for over 25 years and it’s great to see how it’s now entered a ‘golden age’ as a fundamental and accepted core business and societal need. However, as it’s still a relatively new concept to a lot of organisations who are starting from 0 there can be outdated misconceptions and biases towards sustainability. One that I’ve heard numerous times is that ESG and sustainability are only an additional cost to the business and a distraction from their core operations and business model.

We’re there to show them the value they can gain through adopting ESG and sustainability practices. We respond to this by articulating and evidencing the benefits, competitive advantage, market position, innovation, sector leadership, talent attraction and retention, and long-term business resilience. It’s rewarding to see our clients getting fully on board and seeing the positivity of ESG for their business. There’s nothing quite like changing their view and them seeing first-hand how much of an impact it can make.”

An appreciation for what I bring

“I think the greatest strength I bring to AAB is my extensive and authentic sustainability/ESG consultancy and operational experience in a very diverse range of sectors, countries, cultures and contexts. One of my clients once said, “He has vision and talent and brings wider knowledge and expertise that is unique and hard to find.”, which I took as a great compliment.”

Making sustainability a priority

“There’s a misconception that if you work in ESG or sustainability you’re a tree hugger or against corporate expansion. That’s so far from the truth. I work in ESG because I genuinely care about resilient economies, communities, societies and the planet we live on, for current and future generations.

By embracing ESG it’s not that businesses should have to compromise on the quality of how they run their operations. It’s the opposite actually. That’s where we come in.”