Tell your story before others tell it for you.

Governmental regulators’ recent increased focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures, the Business Roundtable’s endorsement of a company’s purpose beyond profit maximization, and growing sustainability opportunities and risks have emphasized the importance of that statement.

Equally important is investors’ recognition of the link between ESG factors and long-term value creation, which is supported by numerous recent studies. As a result, many large asset managers increasingly link environmental and sustainability risks to investment risks.

A well-run company must, therefore, continually take into consideration all stakeholders, including customers, employees, suppliers, and the communities within which it operates. As the push for greater ESG emphasis and disclosure continues, companies need to develop a strategy and framework for providing this information.

Parker Poe’s ESG & Sustainability Team

Parker Poe’s ESG & Sustainability Team can be a valued partner to companies focused on these critical areas by helping with the following:

• Developing and reevaluating purpose: A company’s purpose not only drives its business strategy and execution but also who its stakeholders are and its place within the communities in which it operates. As a company redefines its purpose, it can also seek to become a public benefit company or have its environmental or social performance independently reviewed.
   
• Implementing an ESG framework: This framework sets forth a company’s goals and action plan regarding its ESG strategy.
   
• Harmonizing corporate governance: As companies implement an ESG framework, they need to review and revise corporate policies for alignment and integration.
   
• Preparing a sustainability report: This is an important way the company tells its story and highlights the progress it has made with respect to its ESG goals.
   
• Making ESG disclosures: This includes updating any internal systems and processes to capture this information, reviewing and revising a company’s disclosure controls and procedures, and coordinating with its external auditor.
   
• Ratings and rankings: Understanding how rating agencies and other standard-setters view a company’s ESG framework and disclosures, as well as how they benchmark achievement of ESG goals.
   
• Navigating stakeholder engagement: Heightened scrutiny of company actions by shareholders and external stakeholders places a premium on effective outreach and communication about a company’s sustainability progress.
   
• Pursuing sustainable development: We help identify and facilitate projects involving natural resource protection, enhanced operational efficiency, and/or clean energy strategies that build corporate value and secure community goodwill.

Parker Poe’s ESG & Sustainability Team can help its clients tell their ESG story before others tell it for them.