Materiality 2020 – Time to hit the reset button?

2020 has been a year of seismic events that have fundamentally changed the business landscape. Never have global challenges – including climate change, cyber risks, Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement – affected so many businesses and sectors, as quickly, and as deeply.

Now is the time to explore the implications of these challenges on your business and to re-prioritise your material risks and opportunities. A well designed and executed materiality process is the cornerstone of a targeted responsible business strategy. It helps focus attention on critical areas and deliver short-term wins, while building the foundation for long-term value. In this session we will share the results of our research on how companies are responding and explore whether businesses may need “a reset” when it comes to their materiality analysis.

Our experts will cover:

• How the events of 2020 are shaping the environmental, social and governance (ESG) landscape
• The changing views and expectations of key stakeholders
• How business is responding

The two panellists that will be joining us are:

Anita Neville

Senior Vice President of Group Corporate Communications, Golden Agri-Resources

Anita Neville joined GAR from ten years with the Rainforest Alliance, an international non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation of tropical forests. Neville led the design and implementation of the first global marketing strategy for the Rainforest Alliance’s certification and verification services and served as representative for the Australia and Oceania region. She is a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) auditor, specialising in the social aspects of the respected forestry standard. Prior to the Rainforest Alliance, Neville was the Director of Communications for E3G, a European-focused environmental politics think tank specialising in climate diplomacy and energy policy. She began her career with WWF UK, rising to Head of Advocacy where she worked to secure the HSBC Investing in Nature partnership, work that continues to this day in the form of the HSBC Water Programme.

Duncan Paterson

Head of ESG Thought Leadership, Asia Pacific, ISS ESG

Duncan has specialized in the field of responsible investment for over 20 years, both in Australia and internationally. In addition to his work with ISS ESG (previously CAER), Duncan served for 10 years on the board of the industry body for responsible investment in Australia, the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) (the last few years as Chair), and for 10 years as a director of the Hong Kong-based Association for Sustainable and Responsible Investment in Asia (ASrIA). Duncan also co-Chairs one of the Technical Working Groups in the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative (ASFI), as well as serving on that organisation’s Co-ordinating Working Group.

RSVP to secure your place and to ensure that your business planning for 2021 is better informed, based on updated understanding of the ESG risks and opportunities for the business.