28 April 2026
My name is Jamie Holton, and I am one of the trainers of the ESG course at NCIP. In this blog, I’ll take you through my passion for sustainability and why this training is relevant for you as a professional.
From an early age, I have felt a strong drive to contribute to a more just and equitable world. During family visits to South Africa, I witnessed the stark divide between rich and poor, as well as the harmful effects of racial inequality. As I grew older, I realized that inequality takes many forms, including gender inequality, discrimination against LGBTQI+ communities, and business models that generate profits here while people elsewhere struggle to make ends meet. To me, that is unacceptable.
Today, I channel this conviction into my work as a Programme Manager at the Dutch network of the United Nations Global Compact, the UN’s corporate sustainability initiative. For nearly four years, I have supported companies in taking concrete steps on social sustainability topics such as human rights and diversity & inclusion. Through training and peer learning, I help professionals drive change from within. Because sustainable business is not about ticking boxes; it starts at the core of an organization.
The UN Global Compact calls on companies worldwide to align their strategies and operations with Ten Principles on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These principles are not a checklist, but an invitation to fundamentally rethink how value is created and to organize companies in a way that enables everyone to contribute.
ESG legislation plays an important role here. Developments such as the CSRD, CSDDD, Pay Transparency Directive, and Forced Labor Regulation push companies to take their responsibility. This is essential, because without change we risk causing irreversible harm to people and the planet. At the same time, this growing body of regulation can lead to “compliance fatigue”: simply meeting legal requirements is rarely inspiring, and the pace of change demands constant adaptation.
That is why, in my training, I also focus on the international guidelines underpinning ESG legislation. By understanding and embedding these into your organization, you are not only better prepared for new regulations, but also able to become more ambitious and create real impact. I’m glad NCIP emphasizes this in this training. Plus, it practices what it preaches: since 2026, it has been a participant of UN Global Compact NL and has committed itself to the UN’s Ten Principles too.
ESG is evolving rapidly and requires professionals who understand both the big picture and how to translate it into practice. If you want to make a real impact on sustainability, this training helps you go beyond compliance. It equips you to understand the core principles, how you can drive meaningful change within your company, and truly make a difference for ESG.