Tagged: ESG

15 Nov, 2023

The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive is (Almost) Here. Is Your Company Ready?

On January 1, 2024, the long-awaited EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”) begins to take effect. The CSRD is intended to redefine corporate social responsibility expectations for both in-scope companies and out-of-scope third-parties with whom they transact. This regulatory overhaul concentrates enforcement efforts on global supply chains, requiring in-scope companies to take an active role in safeguarding human rights not just within their own operations,...

General

20 Apr, 2023

Making Corporate Culture a Reality: Define and Embed (Part I of III)

Everyone has jumped on the corporate culture bandwagon. For some new converts, they like to espouse corporate culture as a recent discovery, or a new-fangled approach for compliance programs. The story of corporate culture as a talismanic tool for ethics and compliance is really nothing new. Chief compliance officers knew the importance of corporate culture from the beginning. A number of companies separately called out...

General

30 Aug, 2022

SEC’s Climate and Cyber Regulations Increase Compliance and Enforcement Risks (Part II of II)

You know companies face a new and aggressive enforcement regime when shorthand terms, such as “greenwashing,” are adopted prior to the implementation of comprehensive regulations governing disclosure of climate change issues and cyber-incidents. When these new regulations are adopted, companies will have to develop robust procedures for identifying potential violations of internal reporting and disclosure controls. This will be a difficult process. Along with the...

General

24 Mar, 2022

The Power of a Corporate Mission, Values-Based Leadership and the “S” of ESG

The ESG movement presents numerous opportunities for organizations to promote and improve overall performance. By injecting the important focus on “sustainability,” organizations can take a broader view of their respective corporate missions to advance numerous objectives, including the financial bottom line. Under “traditional” economic analysis (e.g. Milton Friedman and a shareholder-interests only), a corporation’s sole mission was to increase shareholder value. The market rules and...

Podcasts

12 Feb, 2022

Episode 224 — 2022 Ethics and Compliance Predictions

Ethics and compliance professionals believe in their mission – if they did not, they would not be in the field. E&C professionals believe in the power of positive thinking, ethical conduct, and in the overall ability of an organization to operate as an “ethical” company. They work for their mission and it is a positive mission. The New Year is a great time for E&C professionals...

General

26 Jan, 2022

CCOs 2022 To-Do List: Ethical Culture and ESG

Chief compliance officers have a difficult job (to say the least). If everything goes well, they are hailed as heroes. If a major problem occurs, everyone looks to the CCO to find out why the problem occurred. In the latter situation, the implicit message to CCOs is “why didn’t you prevent this problem, I thought you were supposed to prevent this.” This reflects a fundamental...

Podcasts

23 Jan, 2022

Episode 221 — The “Person” of the Year: Environmental Social and Governance Programs

One of my favorite New Year’s reviews is under the title of “Person” of the Year. In the past, I have singled out Chief Compliance Officers, Chief Ethics Officers, Prosecutors, and Whistleblowers. For 2021, the choice is obvious – the most important trend is the rise of Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) programs. In second place, I would choose Supply Chain Management and Risks, given the...

General

12 Jan, 2022

2022 Ethics and Compliance Predictions

Choose to be optimistic. It feels better.” – Dalai Lama Forgive me for my optimism. It is the only way to live a meaningful life. Or as some would say – being a pessimist is too much of a burden. We begin a New Year — and I am optimistic. To turn the corner here on relevance, ethics and compliance professionals, are by definition, optimists. Give...

General

28 Oct, 2021

Building an ESG Structure and Program (Part II of III)

Investor demand for companies to provide robust and transparent ESG information is growing quickly. Investors understand that companies have to develop effective strategies to address ESG risks. The impact on shareholder price is evident – stakeholders are demanding that companies devote time and attention to ESG issues. Companies have to respond to this demand. Government regulators are quickly pushing the ESG movement. The European Commission...