Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Learning objectives:

• Identify ESG factors that impact sustainable business decisions ​
• Recognize the accounting profession’s call to action to lead the global transition to a more sustainable future ​
• Predict upcoming regulatory/policy developments related to ESG reporting in the U.S. ​
• Recognize the global landscape for companies reporting and obtaining assurance over their ESG disclosures ​
• Identify key developments within the global sustainability reporting standards space

As a proposed ESG disclosure rule from the SEC takes shape, how should companies prepare to incorporate these potential requirements into their SEC disclosures -—especially if they’re already providing ESG information to their critical stakeholders? In this session, we will share insights into potential climate disclosure rules from the SEC and the expected impact such rules may have on existing ESG reporting. We will explore the increasing importance of internal controls, third-party assurance, and the role of the board of directors and finance in ESG reporting. We will also share perspectives on how companies of all ESG reporting maturities can prepare for the emerging impacts of ESG on SEC and stakeholder reporting.

The effect of ESG is being felt across all sectors, and the demand for reporting standards continues to get louder. While we wait for those standards to be set, a number of questions need to be answered. Who will set the rules? Where will the information need to appear? Will audit or assurance be required? Join BKD trusted advisors Dirk Cockrum, Brian Matlock, and Coleman Rowland as they try to navigate these questions and provide a phased approach to building your ESG program.

ESG measures and assessments are becoming pervasive throughout corporations and financial institutions. In order to make these measures useful, it is important to understand what exactly they are measuring. We will explain what goes into creating an ESG score and outline key use cases such as risk assessment, on-boarding and Know Your Supplier/Customer (KYS/KYC). In addition, since ESG scores are only available for the largest firms, we will also show our methodology for estimating ESG measures for small and medium sized enterprises.

Objectives:
1. What are ESG scores measuring and how do they relate to climate risk?
2. The implications and uses of ESG measures across an organization

Presented by KPMG.

This session will provide an overview of the ESG reporting journey and the role of finance has in leveraging its existing skills and framework to drive the organization’s ESG agenda.

You'll learn...

1. Why climate risk might need to be reflected in the financial statements
2. What ESG related services CPA firms are providing to companies
3. ESG assurance processes: Lessons learned from a practitioner and client conversation