Date: Thursday 13 June 2024
Times: 9am-5pm
Place: University of Liverpool Management School, Chatham Street, L69 7ZH – Seminar Room 2
Cost: free, including free coffee, tea and lunch
Full, fair and honest ESG communication
As organisations face increasing legal and social pressure to disclose their environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices, it is crucial for them to provide an honest account of their business impacts. This goes beyond just telling a story; it requires organisations to understand and comminucate the true costs of operating sustainably.
As well as the difficulty of tailoring messages to audiences with varying concerns and expectations, many organisations fear the potential negative impact of truly transparent ESG reporting.
However, is this really the case? Do ESG disclosures on problems and challenges necessarily result in reputational damage and negative market reactions? How do different stakeholders really perceive and react to this information?
Research led evidence and business expertise
To provide answers to these questions, the Centre for Sustainable Business (CSB) will dedicate its second in-person Summer Conference to the theme ‘Full, fair and honest ESG communication’.
This one-day interactive conference brings together CSB researchers and business leaders to explore effective and honest ESG communication to key audiences, including investors, regulators, customers and competitors.
If you are a business or sustainability leader, non-executive director, or you are involved in ESG reporting or communications you will find this event particularly useful.
As well as listening to first-hand insights from industry experts, you will get access to the latest research evidence from the CSB on market reactions to transparent ESG reporting.
Roundtable discussions
As well as providing an excellent chance for learning and networking with like-minded people, you will have the opportunity to participate in three roundtable discussions.
The roundtables consist of three 20-25 minute facilitated discussions, each focused on specific issues to provide a space for deep reflection and provocative discussions.
After each discussion, you will move on to the next roundtable for another practical and interactive conversation on a different key audience.
This activity was particularly successful in our last Summer Conference, with delegates highlighting its practical value and how the discussions helped them rethink their current strategies.
Don’t miss your opportunity to take part!
Keynote speakers
The conference will be hosted by CSB Director, Professor Jo Meehan, followed by several keynotes by research experts and business leaders from organisations, who will offer different perspectives on ESG reporting and transparent communication:
- Ben Carpenter (CEO of Social Value International) will give a keynote address, on their ‘True and fair’ campaign, and how businesses can include sustainability and their impact on climate change in their audited financial statements to stimulate meaningful change. Social Value International works with prestigious institutions including the United Nations Development Programme and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to set global standards and to change how organisations account for value.
- Dr Ahmed Al-Abdin (Senior Lecturer in Marketing and the Deputy Associate Dean - International - for the University of Liverpool Management School) will delve into the evolving landscape of brand activism, boycotting, and greenwashing, offering practical insights into the emerging phenomenon of ‘brand mis-activism’.
- Sophia Polson (Creative Director and founder of Phase Creative) with a passion for using the power of photography to raise awareness of social and environmental issues, Sophia brings a unique perspective to the conference. Her session will use stories and images to encourage a deeper reflection on our connection to the effects of climate change and provide inspiration on how to think about sustainability’s ‘bigger picture’.
- Ryan Bromley (Partner of Good Innovation) and Yvonne Filler (Marketing Manager) will talk through their latest report based on 20 in-depth interviews with leaders in Sustainability and Social Impact in some of the UK's biggest brands. In their session, they will discuss some of the key communications challenges that were voiced, and suggest how to connect with leadership teams, employees and customers with compelling impact narratives.
Please, keep an eye on the Management School’s research LinkedIn and Twitter/X pages, as we hope to share the final timetable with you very soon.
Important information
Catering
During the event we will provide lunch, tea, coffee and water.
We will ask if there are any dietary requirements we should be aware of on the booking form.
We have also thought about other elements to make catering as sustainable as possible:
- Locally sourced foods
- No paper or plastic cups/cutlery
- Water dispensers
- Vegan and vegetarian options only
- Whole fruits that will not be wasted after the event
- Guests can take any leftover food home
- Feel free to bring your own food container, water bottle or cup!
Accessibility
The building is fully DDA compliant and exceeds current legislative requirements to ensure it is accessible and useable by all.
Back to: Management School