Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues are not new. Investors have been interested in corporate practices, sustainability and ethics for decades. In the last year, however, a major shift driven by new regulations, expanding business opportunities and a global focus on climate risk, gender diversity, human rights and more, have organizational leaders working to weave ESG into their corporate DNA. Join VelocityEHS professionals and industry experts as we come together for a free, one-day event to share best practices for incorporating ESG into your company’s operations.
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Agenda
9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Eastern
The Value of ESG to the Financial Community
Presenters: Chloe Sanders, Head of ESG, CVC Capital Partners
Blake McGowan, Director of Ergonomics Research, VelocityEHS
Today, businesses are expected to develop a strategic approach to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and integrate ESG risk management into their financial business model.
During this conversational session, participants will gain insights about the importance of ESG from the financial community viewpoint straight from CVC. The firm has more than $80 billion under management across private equity and credit, and integrates ESG considerations into its approach. Some questions to be addressed include:
- Why is ESG important to the financial community? Why now?
- What ESG information is important to the financial community?
- Who are the benefactors? What are the benefits?
- How can EHS professionals better support the ESG needs of the financial community?
- What ESG management expectations does CVC have of its portfolio companies?
- How would you describe “ESG done right”?
10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Eastern
EHS to ESG: Making the Pivot
Presenter: David Staples, Senior Solutions Strategist, ESG, VelocityEHS
Moderator: Roger Bottum, Senior Vice President of Product, VelocityEHS
While some companies have excelled with a strong health and safety culture or an exemplary environmental compliance record, EHS has rarely poured into other facets of business and led fundamental organizational change. EHS has traditionally been about lowering risk and keeping regulators at bay. However, due to the demands of the financial community and other stakeholders, EHS is expanding its footprint into Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). While ESG activities are still largely voluntary, they permeate all aspects of business.
Today, managers must focus not only on how to reduce incident rates or remain within permit thresholds, but also on how to drive toward net zero emissions or contribute to the circular economy through sustainable by design principles. These efforts require planning and buy-in from the entire organization to avoid getting outpaced by competitors that have a solid process. EHS managers need to shift their paradigm because the expectations of suppliers, employees, and shareholders have shifted. These stakeholders want to see that your business model is prepared to thrive in the more transparent, equitable, and low carbon economy that the world is quickly moving toward. During this session, VelocityEHS experts will discuss why this pivot is important and how to make it happen within your organization.
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Eastern
Practical Steps to Implement an ESG Program
Presenters: Brad Micheel, Senior Solutions Strategist, VelocityEHS
Phil Molé, EHS & Sustainability Expert, VelocityEHS
Many company leaders interested in pursuing an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) process are currently following a traditional EHS management approach, and are seeking practical guidance on how to begin the transition toward reaching these goals. This webinar will cover tangible steps to begin your ESG journey today, such as how to:
- Understand and assess the issues that materially matter most to your organization
- Define the scope of your management system
- Identify the selection, management, and disclosure of metrics, whether environmental, like greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, or organizational, such as those related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)
12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Eastern
ESG Horizon Planning: What’s Happening?
Presenter: Julian Moffatt, Senior Principal Solutions Strategist, VelocityEHS
Moderator: Frank Skiba, Senior Product Manager, EHS Foundations, VelocityEHS
Over the span of a few short years, ESG has evolved from an optional public relations reporting initiative into an increasingly mandatory, investor-driven reporting requirement. Where is this leading? What is next on the horizon in relation to ESG? How can you prepare your leadership team for the next five years? Join Julian Moffatt, Principal Solution Strategist, ESG at VelocityEHS, for an in-depth discussion of what is coming next in the world of ESG. The next five years will be a pivotal time for organizations grappling to rise with (or lead) the ESG tide as they face (mandatory) European reporting requirements, looming SEC standards, the emergence of SASB as a foundational reporting framework, upcoming changes to GRI, and the rise of supply chain reporting as a key corporate challenge. While the pace of change continues to accelerate, learn what steps you can take today to better prepare for the future of ESG.
1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern
Embracing ESG into A Company’s DNA: CF Industries Case Study
Presenter: Kelvin Roth, VP of EHS and Quality, CF Industries
Moderator: Julian Moffat, Senior Principal Solutions Strategist, VelocityEHS
CF Industries is the world’s largest producer of ammonia products and has long held a lead position within this industry for its safe and efficient operations. Not surprisingly, CF Industries has been publishing annual sustainability reports for much of the past decade as part of its commitment to employees, shareholders, and external stakeholders. 2020 marked a significant leap forward for CF Industries in relation to its sustainability journey, with the organization profoundly changing its approach to ESG. Join Kelvin Roth, Vice President, Environmental, Health, Safety & Quality, for an in-depth discussion of CF Industries’ ESG practices and how the organization has interwoven sustainability principles into its DNA. Mr. Roth will discuss the company’s approach to decarbonizing ammonia production through its “blue” and “green” ammonia products, as well as the internal changes (from the board of directors to individual departments) that have facilitated an “ESG first” corporate culture. Mr. Roth will also highlight some of the key drivers and benefits associated with assuming a leadership position in ESG.
2:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Eastern
CEO Checklist for ESG
Presenter: Blake McGowan, Director of Ergonomics Research, VelocityEHS
Moderator: Matt Airhart, President and COO, VelocityEHS
It is common for global or large organizations to expect business leaders to develop a strategic approach to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and integrate ESG risk management into their financial business model. However, ESG management might be new for business leaders of regional or small organizations. So, what can these smaller organizations do to establish a strategic approach to ESG?
During this session, you will:
- Learn six guiding principles of effective ESG management.
- Get a “CEO Checklist” for effectively developing your organization’s strategic approach to ESG management. The checklist covers topics such as education, strategy, goals, metrics, measurement, regulatory awareness, and disclosure.
- Receive a simple ESG self-assessment to conduct a baseline assessment of your organization’s current approach to ESG.