From the early years of corporate action when “disclosure” was the mark of a climate leader, much has changed. Today, leaders are setting 1.5 degree aligned Science Based Targets, and many companies are committing to go even further by setting Net-0 and carbon negative goals. But achieving these goals will be impossible without supportive climate policies. That’s why it’s time for companies and their trade associations to get off the sidelines and advocate for strong policy. It’s also why several of the leading business-focused NGOs are aligned and collaborating to ensure that the climate leadership mantle is reserved for those companies who are using their voice and influence to secure supportive climate policy. Join this session to learn about the new bar for climate policy leadership called the “AAA Framework”, tools to make it easier for your teams to engage, EDF’s new Authenticity Meter, which assesses recent advocacy actions by companies and industry groups and rates them on how they obstruct or support progress, and engage in a robust dialogue about what you can expect in the coming years as workers and ratings and rankings organizations begin to account for your policy advocacy actions.

How can companies shift consumer behavior to advance sustainable outcomes? Many sustainable product interventions rely on consumer behavior to succeed. From circular shopping to cold water washing, the consumer plays an active role in making decisions that ensure sustainable outcomes. But when a consumer is unfamiliar or unwilling to participate, sustainable initiatives and business models can fail. How can you encourage your consumers to change their behavior and ensure sustainability success? Learn from practitioners and researchers who are studying and provoking consumer behavior change.

How do you create value for, and from, your customers in your sustainability agenda? Many organizations see their sustainability efforts through the lens of obligation: something they must do to meet evolving stakeholder expectations. This is often reflected in how programs are measured and managed. But looking through the lens of opportunity opens up new possibilities, both commercially and in terms of climate impact. This session explores ways to engage customers as part of your sustainability efforts, from how you position and communicate what you do through to helping customers pursue their sustainability goals and ambitions.

A lot has been written about how COVID-19 propelled companies to make technology shifts in 3-5 months that they previously thought would take them 3-5 years. 2020 also propelled consumer shifts and expectations. Gone are the days when a company could simply comply with regulations, make social and environmental commitments that were in the “middle of the pack” and run the occasional Earth Day social media campaign. Americans now expect companies to be Good, and they expect that Goodness to be authentically baked into a company or brand’s reason for being and to be transparently communicated about.  So…what exactly do they expect? What do they want companies to do? How do they expect companies to communicate about it? Suzanne Shelton will share trend-lines and insights from her firm’s market research work and lay out a framework for how companies and brands can position themselves to meet consumer expectations and win in the court of public opinion.

The consumer communication landscape is awash with apps, labels and websites to help consumers understand the sustainability of the products they are buying. How do companies sort through the options, and how do consumers avoid greenwashing? Join a panel of consumer-facing media platforms to discuss the landscape of consumer communication and where we go from here.

In the wake of a global pandemic, political and economic instability and calls for social justice, how are companies quantifying their impact in a way that is meaningful for employees and recruits, and useful for investors, raters and rankers? Join this roundtable for a discussion on how some companies are starting to turn the corner of intent vs. action and supporting that with new disclosures, programs and more. What does meaningful disclosure look like? Is including D&I metrics in your ESG report enough? And how do we balance data with narrative to show authenticity? This discussion will give you an opportunity to explore these questions and hear from your peers to help you determine what approach will be right for your company.