ESG Communications Summit

08.00 Registration and Morning Coffee

09.00 Opening Remarks

09.10 Storytelling to Storydoing: How to Design Credible ESG Narratives That Drive Social Respect and Measurable Impact
From overcoming commitment fatigue to harnessing the power of collaboration, we will share the tools needed to deliver compelling and impactful ESG communication strategies
Alicia Aleksandrowicz, Vice President Strategic Planning - Sustainability & Social Impact, Weber Shandwick

09.50 What Exactly is ESG and How Can ESG Communications Help Build Your Brand?
ESG communications is the activity of promoting a company’s ESG (environmental, social, governance) strategy to its stakeholders in alignment with its corporate purpose and mission. This session will go into detail on what ESG communications is, and how it can help build brand awareness and equity.
Gemma Pryor, Senior Director - Canada Impact Team, McDonald’s Canada

10.30 Trends and Best Practices in ESG Communication and Reporting
The growing importance of  Sustainability reports is supported by the fact that the investors and other stakeholders are calling on companies to disclose more about their ESG strategies. At the same time, incoming regulation and standardization of sustainability reporting is causing large scale disruption. This session will focus on what will be top of mind for ESG communications and reporting, now and in the years ahead.
Sarah Chapman, Global Chief Sustainability Officer, Manulife

11.10 Speaking on Purpose: Top 5 Ways Your ESG Story Gets Told Right (and Heard Well)
A decade ago, about 20% of the S&P 500 published a sustainability report.  Today, nearly 95% of S&P 500 companies publish ESG reports in some form. While the race to the top is on, not everyone is winning equally.  Learn the top ways companies are differentiating themselves in ESG communications and social impact storytelling for internal and external audiences. 
Sevaun Palvetzian, Sr. Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, and Executive Advisor, ESG

11.50 Lunch for Speakers and Delegates

12.40 The Case for ESG in Nonprofits
Non-profits have unique opportunities and face similar challenges when it comes to developing, implementing and communicating their ESG strategy. How can these mission-driven organizations, who often partner with business to deliver on their shared purpose of social good and environmental stewardship, manage their own ESG stories? Hear how some non-profits, many constrained by limited resources and expertise, are approaching ESG and communication around their initiatives, and how their voices are important in our collective story. 
Janet McCausland, Head of Communications and Sustainability, Prince's Trust Canada 

13.20 ESG, Purpose & Government Relations – Opportunities and Challenges
From CSR to ESG and now Purpose, organizations are working hard to tell their stories in a way that breaks through the noise. Unfortunately, there is more noise now than ever. How do organizations that are serious about Environmental, Social and Governance leadership effectively reach and engage government? This conversation will break down the different parts of Government, what they each care about, and how to make your ESG efforts stand-out in your Government Relations.
Tom Chervinsky, Head of External Affairs and Social Capitalism, Public Policy, TELUS

14.00 Understand How ESG Influences Employees
ESG disclosures aren’t just for shareholders and regulators – they influence employee commitment, engagement, and discretionary effort. In this session, you will learn the facts about the value employees place on company ESG performance and ways to empower your employees to be integral in your company’s ESG performance.
Elizabeth Dove, Social Impact and ESG Advisor

14.40 Networking and Refreshment Break

15.10 Build a Culture Around ESG That Resonates With Employees
ESG and employee engagement go hand in hand. While employees drive ESG results by operationalizing ESG strategy, the role that ESG strategy plays in influencing and inspiring employees is equally important and is something not to be overlooked.
In this session, you will gain insights into how to build a culture around ESG that resonates with employees at all levels, discover the business case behind understanding how ESG influences employees, and learn how to leverage this influence to build a more resilient, successful ESG strategy.
Tania Ferlin, Global Manager of Communications and ESG, Husky Technologies

15.50 ESG Storytelling Without Greenwashing
In this session, Shilpa will share with you how to improve your ESG storytelling without greenwashing. She will share with you tips on how to get your sustainability story out there, how to make your stories believable and how to avoid being accused of greenwashing.
Shilpa Tiwari, Global Executive Vice President, Social Impact & Sustainability, Citizen Relations

16.30 ESG Communications: Managing Legal Disclosure Risks
With the recent shift from voluntary to mandatory ESG reporting, companies are under increasing pressure to disclose verifiable, credible, and accurate ESG information.  With ESG reporting frameworks becoming more standardized and with mandatory reporting requirements being imposed by governments around the world, the potential for legal risks including ESG activism, litigation and regulatory enforcement are increasing rapidly.  In this session, Conor Chell, Head of the ESG Practice Group at MLT Aikins LLP, will discuss emerging ESG legal risks and mitigations that will help companies avoid the rising tide of ESG legal risk.
Conor Chell, Head of ESG Practice Group, MLT Aikins LLP

17.10 Closing Discussion and End of Boot Camp