In addition to providing an instructive, succinct (director- and management-friendly) overview of key themes of and tensions encompassed in the ESG movement, “The ABC’s of ESG” from Squire Patton Boggs is an invitingly candid and entertaining read. Coverage includes the TCFD and SASB disclosure frameworks, director fiduciary duties, the stakeholder vs. stockholder “debate” and associated implications for director oversight, and practical guidance to companies about how to approach these shifting expectations. The Appendix includes top-of-mind issues for management to consider (such as whether the company should have an ESG disclosure committee) and issues to discuss with the board; ISS’s and Glass Lewis’s approaches to trending shareholder proposals; a materiality assessment checklist for companies that are just getting started; and a “recipe” for stakeholder capitalism.
Access additional resources on our Sustainability, Climate Risk & Disclosure, Director Duties & Liabilities, and Corporate Purpose/Stakeholder Governance pages.
This post first appeared in the weekly Society Alert!