We help businesses navigate risk and thrive while securing a resilient and hopeful future for people and our planet.

 

We are a global ESG and sustainability consultancy founded by internationally experienced lawyers and ESG thought leaders with sustainability qualifications from the University of Cambridge.

Taking action on ESG and the just transition imperative makes good business sense and presents commercial advantages for you, your organisation and your clients.

Our Services

How can we help you?

Upskilling & Coaching

Strategy & Consulting

Thought Leadership & Advocacy

Research

Measurement & Impact Verification

Communication & Reporting

Our Clients

  • Christina and Aimee joined us at our Annual Leadership Conference in September 2022, to talk about the business case of ESG integration for us a law firm. They motivated us by sharing the outlook on sustainable, long-term and inclusive business decision making. Their insights on ESG as a value creator - internally as a case for talent attraction and retention along with a positive work culture, and externally linked with a visible evolution in the market demand for legal services from the ‘responsible’ law firms - were appreciated by many during our conference.

    D. Lewis, Senior Partner, Weightmans LLP

  • "Stories Evolved supported us on the initial phase of developing an ESG strategy for our firm. We found their approach to the discovery and diligence exercise novel and effective in that it led to multiple outcomes of the DD phase – not only information gathering and collation, but also active and fluid knowledge and awareness building, as well as meaningful and broad stakeholder engagement."

    COO, Leading South African Law Firm

  • “The moderated panel with Stories Evolved and one of the original proponents of ESG, Paul Clements Hunt, was a lively and insightful session that was presented to all our practitioners. Stories Evolved have their finger on the pulse of all things ESG and this panel discussion provided an ideal platform on which to build out our other ESG initiatives at our firm as we continue on our own ESG journey”

    James Brand, ENSAfrica

  • "We found that Christina and Aimée were adept at facilitating complex dialogue, at all times sharing their incredible knowledge of ESG. We found them to be professional, communicative and committed. Following on from our engagement with Stories Evolved, we are well placed to continue developing and implementing our firm's ESG strategy."

    COO, Leading South African Law Firm

  • “When attending a Stories Evolved programme, you are in for a treat. The Good Money programme you delivered for HERmesa was engaging and educational.”

    Marla Shapiro, Founder of HERmesa Angel Investment Network

  • “Surprised by the breadth of Stories Evolved’s recommendations. They were quite astonishing and seemed to cover everything.”

    Knowledge and Innovation Head to one of the “Big Five law firms” in South Africa

  • “Thank you for the opportunity to provide input on your [ESG] report. It is truly a wonderful platform from which the firm is launching the development of its ESG strategy.”

    Strategy consultant to one of the “Big Five law firms” in South Africa

  • We briefed Stories Evolved to support our (internally developed) ESG accelerator programme – to provide the external lens and some of the broader ESG landscape perspective. The upskilling sessions they delivered were insightful and brimming with industry knowledge, as well as being packed with well formulated and relevant case studies to bring to life the rapidly changing context of business and legal services against the backdrop of ESG.

    Head - BD, Marketing & Comms for a leading South African law firm

  • “The [ESG] report you provided us with is a thorough piece of work, well written and researched, and got under the skin of our organisation.”

    Partner to one of the “Big Five law firms” in South Africa

  • “...I just wanted to say how interesting I found your presentation today. As an environmental lawyer, you were preaching to the converted, but it delivered an important message.”

    Nick Barker, Principal Associate, UK National Law Firm ranked in the Times Best Law Firms 2022

  • Aimée Girdwood and Christina Bartholomew are subject matter experts in the true sense of the expression. Because they are lateral thinkers they develop pragmatic solutions which most would miss. It is an absolute pleasure to work with them and I would gladly do so whenever the opportunity presents itself.

    E. Müller, Herbert Smith Freehills

  • Most of our people who participated in the Stories Evolved ESG upskilling now see the case for integrating ESG into what we and our clients do. This has been the biggest success of the initial Stories Evolved ESG programme.

    Abhay Srivastava, ESG Manager, Weightmans

  • "The Stories Evolved team has brilliantly provided a solid grounding in the wide range of ESG issues that are impacting our core sectors. This understanding is key to the support we provide to our clients, and our lawyers have found the sessions enormously helpful."

    Lois Duguid, Head of ESG DAC Beachcroft

  • "Aimée's deep knowledge and expertise on sustainability and its interaction with the law and governance injected life and energy into the course. Her ability to communicate complicated concepts in an easy-to-understand and approachable way means that the nuances of sustainability and what this means for governance come alive! This is vital if we are to translate awareness and understanding into impact. Aimée is a gifted communicator who is able to reach influential minds and decision-makers, getting them to rethink the things they take for granted, and ask important questions."

    Elin Davis, Programme Manager, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership

  • "The attention and energy Christina allocated toward our panel, as well as the preparation and intelligence provided in advance, helped to shape the dialogue for all parties’ benefit."

    Kyle Goehring, Head of Sustainability, Turner & Townsend

  • Aimée deeply understands what sustainability means for business and how this intersects with governance and legal obligations. This deep and nuanced understanding and her excellent research and communication skills have been key to developing a [CISL Governance] course that is not just excellent but engaging, thought-provoking and persuasive. Aimée has the unique ability to make the intricate world of sustainability accessible. Her work on this course is a testament to her commitment to continuous learning, motivation for others to act, and ability to extend the reach of sustainability education to busy business professionals from all backgrounds.

    Dr Mario Abela, Reporting and Governance Expert, Bain Advisory Network

close up of green plant
black and white modern building architecture

WHO WE ARE

Why work with Stories Evolved?

Businesses need to cut through the ESG noise and articulate a North Star for their future, supported by a detailed plan to get there.

That’s where we come in.

Stories Evolved is a team of internationally experienced lawyers and educators working at the intersection of business and ESG impact. 

With our Co-Founders based in Johannesburg and London, we have a unique understanding of ESG trends, the just transition imperative and associated challenges, and how these differ across the UK, Europe, North America and Africa.

Aimée Girdwood, co-founder of Stories Evolved
Christina Bartholomew, co-founder of Stories Evolved

We support the Sustainable Development Goals and are passionate about responsible business and professional services firms driving innovation and impact. We focus on using our unique expertise, qualifications, relationships, and access to ESG thought leadership to help you and your business navigate risks and grow opportunities for a better future for us all.

We decode ESG for your business by focusing on three fundamental principles:

Building a common and clear understanding and language of ESG and sustainability and what it means for your business.

Capacity & Confidence Building

Building Tools to Embed & Align Action and Track Your Progress

We build on what you are already doing for ESG and design strategies, policies and processes unique to your business and operating context,

Offering you access to cutting-edge thought leadership and communication, coaching, and impact measurement & verification expertise. 

Leveraging our Trusted Relationships

Stories

Insights and case studies from the Stories Evolved team.

There is no room for complacency. Reactive organisations are not resilient ones. Get in touch now to discover how your business can evolve its story into one of purpose, credibility and positive impact.

Change is hard, but evolving how businesses do things is key to building and maintaining trust and credibility, and creating value for your business, clients and talent.