The Pre-Read

Whether it's your first time or you're a seasoned pro, this quick primer from ESG Talk host Mandi McReynolds will help you prepare for your organization's next internal audit. Listen as she explores best practices for ESG reporting and how auditors and sustainability teams can come together on the pathway to assurance. 

This episode of ESG Talk features Chad Reed, vice president of strategic initiatives and ESG at HASI, the first public company to report avoided emissions. Chad shares how his team calculates its "carbon count" metric, the critical role coalitions play in sustainability reporting, and why HASI has doubled down on double materiality.

Honeywell's chief sustainability officer, Evan Van Hook, and Shelly Kramer, Futurum Research's principal analyst, join host Mandi McReynolds to discuss the Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI), a quarterly comparison of sentiment and progress on ESG initiatives, and the role technology will play in their success.

Learn more about the ESI: https://www.honeywell.com/us/en/company/sustainability/environmental-sustainability-index

Andie Wood, vice president of regulatory strategy at Workiva, shares a primer on the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), new ESG regulation adopted by the European Commission impacting thousands of companies worldwide. Andie also explores the context surrounding its adoption and its impact on integrated reporting.

Allyson Anderson Book, chief sustainability officer at Baker Hughes, joins Mandi McReynolds to share how her team has transformed the company's annual sustainability report and advocated for transparency over perfection. They explore how acknowledging shortcomings, engaging the board, and navigating regulatory change contribute to ESG.

Join host Mandi McReynolds as she describes Workiva's approach to ESG ratings and rankers, how to identify which matter the most to your organization, and the benefits of communicating progress against ESG goals on an ongoing basis.  

Erin Bigley, chief responsibility officer at AllianceBernstein, pulls back the curtain on transparency and decision making in asset management. Erin and Mandi McReynolds, Workiva's vice president of global ESG, discuss the realities of corporate greenwashing, measuring and managing social risks, and more.

Matthew Sekol, ESG and sustainability advocate at Microsoft, joins Mandi McReynolds on the latest episode of ESG Talk. Sekol explains why he believes understanding stakeholders is a critical component of the "G" and why governance is too often overlooked in the world of ESG.

Resources:

ESG Advocate Newsletter: https://esgadvocate.substack.com/

Mandi McReynolds looks back on her discussion with Jared Forman, managing partner of ESG and climate risk at FORVIS. The two discuss risk management and ESG, including scenario analysis and how Workiva benefited from a FORVIS risk scenario workshop in this episode of ESG Talk.

Resources:

FORVIS ESG & Climate Risk - https://www.forvis.com/services/esg-climate-risk

Tensie Whelan, director of the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business, returns to ESG Talk. Tensie is joined by Kelly Fisher, head of corporate sustainability at HSBC Bank USA, alongside Workiva's Mandi McReynolds. The group shares case studies showcasing how companies are driving financial performance with sustainable investments and urges business leaders to reconsider how they measure ESG's ROI.