You Can't Do It All: Focusing on ESG Materiality and Relevance
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 | 2:40PM
- 3:30PM | Room:
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Concurrent Session
Many IROs feel overwhelmed at the sheer volume of ESG disclosures and factors that their companies are asked to manage. However, large investors have made it clear they don't expect companies to identify and manage every ESG factor affecting them. They "expect companies to identify and report on the material, business-specific E&S risks and opportunities and to explain how these are managed. This explanation should make clear how the approach taken by the company best serves the interests of shareholders and protects and enhances the long-term economic value of the company." (Blackrock Proxy Voting Guidelines for U.S Securities - January 2019). When choosing ESG factors to focus on, companies should look for materiality and relevance, and manage these factors to enhance the economic value of the company. Come listen to experts discuss how you might discover and emphasize those factors most material and relevant to your company.
Learning Objectives:
- Leave the session energized by the fact that you don't have to measure and report on every ESG factor and metric
- Understand that shareholders want a company's ESG efforts to enhance, not detract from, the economic value of the company, and to generate value.
- Leave with a high-level plan and process to lead an internal effort to rank ESG factors by materiality and relevance