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ESG Criteria and Risks to Corporation and Boards: Establishing Measurements, Oversight, and Assessment

Recording of a 90-minute CLE video webinar with Q&A

This program is included with the Strafford CLE Pass. Click for more information.
This program is included with the Strafford All-Access Pass. Click for more information.

Conducted on Thursday, September 23, 2021

Recorded event now available

or call 1-800-926-7926

This CLE course will provide corporate and in-house counsel an overview of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria and the framework and legal requirements for ESG reporting and disclosure. The panel will examine directors' fiduciary duties related to ESG measures and decision-making, discuss finding the balance between company priorities and investor and other stakeholder demands, and address developing legal and business requirements.

Description

General and in-house counsel need to be familiar with the ESG criteria that investors, regulators, and other stakeholders are using. Boards of directors are being called upon to consider how ESG impacts business strategy, operations, and oversight, as well as how boards should approach ESG decision-making and risk oversight.

While standards organizations publish guidance for voluntary reporting of ESG performance, governments around the world are moving toward mandatory disclosures. In environmental matters, focus is on the disclosure of a company’s impact on the climate and its use of sustainable resources. The social aspect of ESG includes a business' contribution to society and managing relationships with customers, local communities, the public, and the government. Finally, governance issues focus on the management of the business' ESG risks and opportunities. Altogether, ESG initiatives are meant to create communal and financial value for companies and their stakeholders now and into the future.

ESG issues have come further to the fore during the COVID-19 crisis and social justice movements. These have increased pressure on companies to communicate how they manage ESG (particularly around employee health and safety and their supply chains during the pandemic).

Listen as our authoritative panel provides best practices on creating ESG policy that best serves the company, the board, and investors.

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Outline

  1. History of ESG
  2. Investor requirements
  3. Voluntary frameworks and regulatory requirements
  4. Adopting an ESG program
    1. Values
    2. Goals
    3. Compliance
  5. Best practices and work with experts

Benefits

This panel will review these and other topics:

  • What are ESG criteria, and should a board incorporate the management of ESG risks and opportunities into its business culture?
  • How does a board balance the needs of ESG management for the company vs. the requirements of investors?
  • What are the different standards for reporting on ESG that a board may consider?
  • What are governments and investors looking for when evaluating a company's ESG performance?
  • How can companies implement an ESG program?

Faculty

Brightbill, Jonathan
Jonathan D. (Jon) Brightbill

Partner; Chair, Environmental Litigation & Enforcement Practice
Winston & Strawn

An experienced trial and appellate lawyer, Mr. Brightbill was the nation’s lead environmental law enforcement...  |  Read More

Hopkins, Brooke
Brooke Hopkins

Managing Director
AlixPartners

Ms. Hopkins helps companies through high-urgency regulatory investigations and the complexities of financial and...  |  Read More

Orr, Sara
Sara K. Orr

Partner, ESG & Impact
Kirkland & Ellis

Ms. Orr advises clients around the world on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. She has almost two...  |  Read More

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Strafford will process CLE credit for one person on each recording. All formats include course handouts.

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