Interactive Workshops Day 1
Environmental, Social, and Governance Reporting: US Advocacy Opportunities and Lessons Learned from the EU
Time: 1:00 PM to 2:15 PM
Room: Ceremonial Classroom
Participants
Jana Morgan, International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (ICAR) (facilitator)
Rachel Curley, Public Citizen (facilitator)
Filip Gregor, Alliance for Corporate Transparency
Bryan McGannon, U.S. Sustainable Investment Forum
Andy Green, Center for American Progress
Background Information
ICAR has been collaborating with a working group of NGOs, think tanks and investors to advocate for mandatory corporate disclosure of environmental, social and governance (ESG) information through a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rulemaking and federal legislation.
This workshop will cover:
ESG disclosures and why they are valuable to investors and advocates;
Progress and lessons learned from the European Union; and
Political opportunities in the United States.
As part of this workshop, we will ask participants to break into working groups and brainstorm around the types of disclosures their organizations would like to see from corporations. These disclosures can relate to the environment, anti-corruption efforts, human rights, supply chains, etc. We will then take the ideas generated and fold them into an ICAR comment letter to the SEC. We will also let participants know how they can submit comments and engage in ongoing US advocacy efforts.
Before attending the workshop, we strongly recommend participants read this petition to the SEC calling for ESG disclosures signed by investors with over $5 trillion in assets under management.
Resources
● ICAR: The Business Case for ESG Disclosures – Why Enhanced Securities Disclosures Matter for Long-Termism (2019)
● ICAR: Setting the Record Straight: Common Myths about Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Reporting (2019)
● Alliance for Corporate Transparency: 2018 Research Report on implementation of the EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive