Tauwfiq Wahidi

Tauwfiq is the Founder of Endurisk Advisory, specializing in ESG, risk management, and corporate governance. A Chartered Accountant with certifications in sustainability and fraud examination, he has advised startups and enterprises on sustainability strategies, materiality assessments, and ESG training. With deep industry expertise, he helps businesses navigate ESG risks and opportunities to drive meaningful impact.

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The Missing Link in Investment Decisions: Forensic Due Diligence

Due Diligence, Forensics, Forensics, Governance, Investigation, Risk /

The Missing Link in Investment Decisions: Forensic Due Diligence In the world of investments, due diligence is often seen as a box to tick—legal, financial, commercial, and tax reviews are conducted routinely. Yet, amid these critical checks, one dimension often remains overlooked: forensic due diligence. As investor expectations evolve and the reputational stakes rise, it is no longer sufficient to assess only what is documented or declared. Forensic due diligence fills a crucial gap—it uncovers hidden risks that could affect not only the valuation of a potential investment but also its long-term stability and public credibility. What Is Forensic Due Diligence? Forensic due diligence is a deeper form of investigation that looks beyond numbers and contracts. It examines the background, behaviour, and track record of key individuals, identifies potential conflicts of interest, analyses past and ongoing disputes, and detects patterns of misconduct or governance failures. Unlike conventional due diligence, which focuses on validating assets, liabilities, and growth assumptions, forensic reviews aim to uncover undisclosed liabilities, ethical breaches, reputational risks, and governance vulnerabilities. The Hidden Risks Behind the Scenes Every investment is fundamentally a bet on people. No matter how attractive the financials, a weak or opaque leadership team can derail growth, invite regulatory scrutiny, or spark cultural dysfunction within an organisation. Some of the risks that forensic due diligence helps uncover include: These are not mere footnotes. In many cases, such risks have translated into operational failures, compliance violations, or reputation damage—resulting in value erosion after the deal is closed. Why Traditional Due Diligence Falls Short Standard legal and financial diligence typically relies on information provided by the company itself—disclosures, statements, and interviews with leadership. But what if the real issues are not disclosed? Or if the leadership is unaware, or worse, complicit? Forensic due diligence brings an independent, investigative lens. It involves structured background checks, discreet stakeholder interviews, media and litigation database scans, conflict mapping, and integrity reviews of management and founders. It is both preventive and diagnostic—designed to catch problems early or assess their materiality before the investment is committed. Aligning With ESG and Reputation Standards With growing focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors, investors are held accountable not only for returns but also for the ethical footprint of their portfolio. Reputational failures—be it a toxic work culture, a non-compliant supply chain, or integrity issues at the leadership level—can impact investor credibility and trigger regulatory or media backlash. Forensic due diligence helps ensure that governance is not just a checkbox but a lived value. It allows investors to validate ESG claims, identify potential social or ethical red flags, and assess whether an organisation’s internal culture aligns with its external commitments. Making It a Standard Practice Integrating forensic due diligence into the investment process does not mean treating every deal with suspicion. Rather, it signals a commitment to responsible investing. The depth of the review can be proportionate to the investment size, sector sensitivity, or early-stage signals. But what matters is consistency—ensuring every transaction goes through a basic level of integrity screening. In sectors like fintech, healthcare, infrastructure, education, or consumer brands—where trust, compliance, and employee well-being are central—the absence of forensic insights can leave investors vulnerable to surprises post-investment. In today’s environment, risk is no longer just about capital exposure or market volatility—it is equally about ethics, transparency, and conduct. Forensic due diligence equips investors with the tools to see around corners, identify soft risks, and make more confident, informed decisions. As the deal landscape becomes more complex, and as regulators and stakeholders demand higher accountability, the case for forensic due diligence is not just compelling—it is essential. How Endurisk Advisory Can Help At Endurisk Advisory, we specialise in bringing a forensic lens to investment decisions. Our services are designed to uncover integrity, governance, and reputational risks that often go unnoticed in traditional due diligence processes. We offer comprehensive forensic background checks on promoters and key management, conflict of interest assessments, litigation and regulatory reviews, digital footprint and media analysis, and culture and ethics diagnostics through discreet stakeholder interviews. Our approach is discreet, independent, and tailored to the context of each investment. Whether you’re evaluating a high-growth startup, a mature acquisition target, or conducting portfolio reviews, Endurisk equips you with clear, actionable insights—so you invest with confidence, foresight, and integrity. Contact our team to learn more

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GRI 103: Energy 2025 — Impact on Strategy

ESG, GRI Standards, Sustainability, Sustainability Reporting /

GRI 103: Energy 2025 — Impact on Strategy As the pressure mounts on businesses to show measurable progress on energy and climate commitments, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has responded with a significantly more structured and outcome-oriented standard: GRI 103: Energy 2025. This updated standard offers a clear framework for companies to report how they manage their energy consumption, the associated environmental and social impacts, and their transition to more sustainable energy systems. For companies that have identified energy as a material topic, this standard is not just another reporting template — it is a roadmap to strengthen internal energy governance, assess risk and opportunity across the value chain, and disclose performance with credibility. What Is GRI 103: Energy 2025? GRI 103: Energy 2025 is a revised topic-specific standard under the GRI Standards framework, designed to guide companies in disclosing how they manage their energy-related impacts. Unlike previous iterations, which leaned heavily on activity-based data, this update puts more emphasis on governance, policies, performance metrics, and the systemic effects of energy consumption across the value chain. The standard supplements GRI 3: Material Topics, particularly Disclosure 3-3, which requires companies to explain how they manage any topic deemed material to their sustainability performance. If energy is considered material, GRI 103: Energy becomes applicable. Importantly, this new version will take effect for all reporting periods starting on or after 1 January 2027. Organizations are encouraged to begin early adoption to strengthen their readiness and reduce future compliance gaps. What Does the Standard Require? The standard includes two major areas: 1. Topic Management Disclosure (103-1): This focuses on energy-related governance, commitments, stakeholder engagement, and investment strategies. 2. Topic-Specific Disclosures (103-2 to 103-5): These cover quantitative and qualitative disclosures on consumption, energy intensity, and reductions across the business and its value chain. Let’s look at these areas in more detail. Topic Management (Disclosure 103-1) Organizations must disclose their policies and commitments on energy, especially how they relate to: The disclosure also requires companies to discuss how they engage with internal and external stakeholders — such as employees, suppliers, and local communities — to shape and inform their energy approach. Firms must also report on: Topic-Specific Disclosures (103-2 to 103-5) These focus on data-driven disclosures: How GRI 103 Can Help Transform Energy Management Within Organizations At first glance, GRI 103: Energy 2025 may appear to be a compliance or reporting tool. But for forward-looking organizations, it is much more — it provides a framework for internal transformation. With an eye on the future, organisations can use the learnings and experience from GRI 103 to set a strategy for energy transition. Here are a few pointers: 1. Establishing Strategic Governance on Energy By requiring companies to describe energy policies, commitments, and decision-making structures, the standard pushes leadership teams to treat energy as a strategic priority rather than an operational issue. It encourages the establishment of cross-functional ownership — involving finance, operations, procurement, and sustainability — in shaping the organization’s energy roadmap. 2. Bringing Visibility to Energy Use Across Operations Most companies understand their utility bills; fewer understand how energy is consumed across different activities or products. GRI 103 forces a granular mapping of energy use — by function, facility, and process — and creates the basis for identifying inefficiencies, unnecessary loads, or underutilized assets. This visibility supports better resource allocation and targeted investments in energy performance upgrades. 3. Embedding Energy Efficiency and Circularity into Core Processes The requirement to disclose energy intensity metrics and reductions — alongside the initiatives responsible for those gains — encourages continuous improvement. This drives companies to embed efficiency principles into equipment procurement, process design, and product development. It also aligns with broader circular economy thinking: reducing waste and improving energy performance across the product lifecycle. 4. Engaging Suppliers and Customers for Energy Impact GRI 103 includes value chain disclosures (upstream and downstream), nudging companies to collaborate with suppliers, service providers, and customers to optimize energy use beyond their own boundaries. This is critical, especially in high-emissions sectors like manufacturing, logistics, food, or consumer goods. Organizations can use the standard as a conversation starter for supplier performance programs, renewable energy sourcing, or redesigning high-energy products. 5. Building Credible Foundations for Net-Zero Commitments As more companies commit to net-zero targets, GRI 103 provides a way to link ambition with evidence. The standard requires companies to be transparent about: This rigor not only supports investor trust but also helps businesses avoid reputational risks linked to greenwashing. What Should Companies Do Now? Though the standard becomes mandatory from 2027, proactive steps today will enable a smoother transition and stronger strategic positioning. Confirm whether energy remains a material topic for your organization. If it is, begin aligning your existing management approach and disclosures with GRI 103. Map your current energy reporting — both internal and public — against the new disclosure requirements. Identify where data, systems, or policies fall short. GRI 103 requires inputs from multiple teams. Set up a working group that includes sustainability, finance, operations, and procurement functions. Begin dialogues with suppliers and distributors to understand their energy footprints. Collect data where possible and develop shared performance expectations. Consider smart metering, IoT devices, and energy analytics platforms that can enhance real-time monitoring and build a more detailed energy inventory. Use the framework to define short-, medium-, and long-term energy reduction or renewable energy goals. Link these to investment planning and operational KPIs. GRI 103: Energy 2025 represents a maturing of sustainability disclosure — moving beyond static metrics to strategic transparency and systemic change. For business leaders, it offers not just a reporting lens, but a transformation pathway. Organizations that embrace the standard early can leverage it to drive internal alignment, supply chain collaboration, and operational efficiency — all while building credibility with stakeholders in a climate-conscious world. How Endurisk Can Support Your Transition Endurisk Advisory works with organizations to embed sustainability and energy governance into core decision-making. We support clients in aligning with GRI 103: Energy 2025 by conducting materiality assessments, mapping energy

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Preparing for GRI 102: Climate Change

ESG, GRI Standards, Sustainability, Sustainability Reporting /

Preparing for GRI 102: Climate Change The global climate challenge is reaching an inflection point—and so are expectations from businesses. As financial regulators, investors, and consumers converge around demands for greater transparency and action on climate issues, companies must move beyond general pledges to deliver credible, structured, and measurable plans. The Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) newly released GRI 102: Climate Change 2025 is a pivotal response to this global need. The standard was released on 26 June 2025 This standard, which applies to sustainability reports published on or after January 1, 2027, provides a dedicated framework for organizations to disclose their climate change-related impacts and the actions they are taking to manage them. Critically, GRI 102 goes beyond emissions tracking; it brings a strategic lens to transition planning, adaptation readiness, and the principle of a just and inclusive transition. For companies that wish to lead—or even keep pace—this standard demands attention, preparation, and action now. What is GRI 102: Climate Change 2025? GRI 102 is the dedicated Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standard focused on climate change. It builds upon the foundation of GRI’s modular reporting framework and serves as a deep dive into an organization’s climate change mitigation and adaptation actions. The central aim of the standard is to enhance transparency around an organization’s impact on the climate and how it manages those impacts. It places strong emphasis on climate transition planning, adaptation, and just transition principles. Importantly, it also expects organizations to be aligned with global scientific efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C, consistent with the Paris Agreement. What Does the Standard Require? The disclosures under GRI 102 are structured into two major sections: Topic Management Disclosures and Topic Disclosures. 1. Topic Management Disclosures These focus on how an organization manages climate-related risks and opportunities: Both disclosures require information on: 2. Topic Disclosures These require specific, quantifiable data points: Scope-Wise GHG Emissions Reporting: A Deeper Dive A significant portion of GRI 102’s rigor lies in its detailed GHG emissions disclosures, separated by Scope 1, 2, and 3. This granularity allows stakeholders to understand where emissions originate, how they are measured, and how they are being reduced. Disclosure 102-5: Scope 1 GHG Emissions Scope 1 covers direct emissions from owned or controlled sources. Organizations are required to: This level of disclosure ensures consistency, transparency, and comparability over time. Disclosure 102-6: Scope 2 GHG Emissions Scope 2 includes indirect emissions from the use of purchased energy (electricity, heating, cooling, steam). Key requirements: This helps investors assess not only the emissions footprint, but also the energy procurement strategy of the company. Disclosure 102-7: Scope 3 GHG Emissions Scope 3 encompasses all other indirect emissions across the value chain—often the largest share of a company’s footprint. GRI 102 requires: By standardizing Scope 3 disclosures, GRI is pushing companies toward value chain accountability—a critical shift as more businesses assess supplier and customer-side emissions. Why This Standard Matters GRI 102 signals a shift in expectations. Organizations are being asked to demonstrate that they are not only measuring their emissions, but also planning, investing, and transitioning their operations in line with a net-zero future. It recognizes that climate action is not just technical—it is strategic. Companies need to rethink supply chains, redesign products, repurpose capital, and retrain their workforce. And they must do this transparently, accounting for both their environmental footprint and their social responsibility to workers and communities. What Companies Should Start Doing Now With the 2027 reporting deadline on the horizon, companies have a narrow but critical window to prepare. Below are five practical and strategic steps organizations should take now: 1. Understand Your Baseline Before setting targets or designing a transition plan, organizations must understand their current emissions profile across Scope 1 (direct), Scope 2 (indirect from energy), and Scope 3 (value chain) emissions. For many, Scope 3 will be the most complex and material. A comprehensive GHG inventory is the foundation for everything else. 2. Develop a Transition Plan A transition plan should not be an appendix—it must be central to business strategy. Start by identifying your most material emissions sources and the biggest levers for reduction. Then define clear milestones: Where do you want to be in 2030? In 2040? How will you phase out fossil fuels? What technologies or operating model shifts will be required? Importantly, GRI expects this plan to be costed. That means assigning capital and operational expenditure, which in turn requires leadership buy-in and financial integration. 3. Build Governance and Accountability Assign clear roles for climate transition oversight. This may involve setting up a sustainability steering committee or embedding responsibilities within the board and executive team. GRI 102 also asks how remuneration, incentives, and performance metrics are linked to climate action. This is an opportunity to hardwire climate ambition into decision-making. 4. Prepare for Social Impacts The emphasis on just transition means that companies must look beyond carbon and assess how the transition will affect jobs, communities, and livelihoods. Are roles being displaced by automation or renewable technologies? Are employees being trained in new skills? Are local communities being consulted? Organizations will need robust stakeholder engagement processes and risk management systems to manage these impacts. 5. Align Reporting with Broader Standards GRI 102 is aligned with ISSB S2 and can be used together. GRI 102 is consistent with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), and Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Companies reporting under CSRD will find strong alignment between GRI 102’s transition plan requirements and those in the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS E1). Rather than treating these as separate exercises, companies should integrate their sustainability data collection, governance, and reporting systems now to avoid duplication and improve consistency. GRI 102 sets a high bar, but it reflects a growing consensus: meaningful climate action cannot wait. For businesses, this is a moment of strategic reflection. Do we have a credible plan to navigate a low-carbon future? Are we prepared for regulatory scrutiny and stakeholder expectations? Are we aligning

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The UAE Climate Law Comes into Force: A Shift from Reporting to Strategy

ESG, Sustainability, UAE Climate Law /

30 May 2025 marks a pivotal moment for businesses operating in the UAE. The long-anticipated Federal Law on Climate Change comes into legal force today — and with it, a new chapter in how companies are expected to manage and report their climate impact.

Unlike previous environmental or sustainability guidelines, this law doesn’t stop at disclosure. It goes further — introducing mandatory systems, national-level coordination, and strategic alignment with the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 vision.

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Demystifying IFRS S1 and IFRS S2: The Global Language of Sustainability Disclosures

ESG, Sustainability, Sustainability, Sustainability Reporting /

As global investors increasingly demand reliable, comparable, and decision-useful sustainability information, IFRS S1 and S2 set the foundation for a unified approach to ESG disclosures. IFRS S1 establishes the overarching framework for identifying and reporting sustainability-related risks and opportunities that could affect enterprise value, while IFRS S2 focuses specifically on climate-related disclosures, including emissions, scenario analysis, and transition plans.

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Understanding the UAE Federal Climate Law: A Business-Centric Perspective

ESG, Sustainability, Sustainability, UAE Climate Law /

​Federal Decree-Law No. 11 of 2024, titled “On the Reduction of Climate Change Effects,” was enacted on August 28, 2024, and is scheduled to come into force on May 30, 2025. This nine-month interim period allows for the development of executive regulations, sector-specific guidelines, and preparatory measures by both public and private entities.

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Why Internal Audit Teams Must Prioritize Sustainability Concerns

Internal Audit, Risk, Sustainability /

Sustainability risks are no longer optional for internal audit teams—they are critical to business resilience. At Endurisk Advisory, we help organizations integrate ESG risks into their audit frameworks, ensuring compliance, risk mitigation, and long-term stability. From assessing climate-related disruptions to strengthening ESG reporting accuracy, we equip internal auditors with the tools to safeguard their organizations against emerging sustainability challenges. Let’s build a risk-resilient future together

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Embedding Sustainability into Corporate Strategy: Leveraging the BRSR Framework

ESG, Governance, Sustainability /

The BRSR framework represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of corporate governance. It challenges boards and leadership teams to embrace a holistic perspective that goes beyond short-term profit-making. Instead, it focuses on long-term value creation by embedding sustainability across strategic and operational frameworks.

This paradigm shift acknowledges that companies are not isolated economic entities but interconnected participants in the broader ecosystem, holding significant responsibilities toward society and the environment.

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Insights Why ESG is Everyone’s Business

ESG, Governance, Sustainability /

As Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations take center stage, they’re becoming essential not just for investors, but for management teams and society as a whole. Investors are diving into ESG because it helps them gauge long-term resilience and value. But what does this mean for how you run your business, and why should it matter beyond the balance sheet?

Investors are honing in on ESG to evaluate how well companies manage future risks and create sustainable value. Strong ESG practices often lead to better financial performance and lower risks.

Management teams need to weave ESG into their core strategies. This isn’t just about setting targets; it’s about embedding sustainability into every decision, increasing transparency, and building a responsible culture.

For society, ESG matters because it tackles pressing issues like climate change and social inequality. Businesses have a crucial role in driving meaningful change and building a better world.

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