Overview

ESG compliance poses many challenges to leaders in emerging economies, especially as these factors gain significant importance in the decision-making process of governments, business leaders, lenders, donors, investors, and other stakeholders in assessing their sustainability, social responsibility and ethical governance practices.

Aspects such as evolving ESG frameworks; legal and regulatory compliance; business practices; and ethical and environmental impacts of investments and lending are only a few of the considerations which could form part of the decision-making process. As complicated and wide-ranging as these reporting and disclosure processes can be, the reality and need for strategic decision-making, prioritization, institutional change, and compliance will always be present and even required. Therefore, the prevailing approaches, tools, monitoring, measurement, and evaluation systems are all central to these processes. This course will explain and provide participants with the necessary insights and tools to navigate the complexities of managing and mitigating ESG risks, complying with ESG frameworks, developing reporting and disclosure practices, and fostering more sustainable and resilient organizations.

The course is intended for Officials, Practitioners, and other Professionals in both the Public and Private Sectors, who are impacted by ESG considerations and particularly by the compliance of ESG in their work, and who want to understand more about ESG on a practical level, to be able to measure, report, and discuss ESG (particularly in the context of strategic initiatives, public procurement, and funding) with Donors and other stakeholders/counterparts.

Course Outline

Introduction and Overview

What is ESG reporting, disclosure, and compliance

• Including practices, perspectives, and accompanying dynamics of the public sector, donors, the private sector, and key stakeholders

Predominant ESG frameworks and metrics

Legal and Regulatory Systems (including expanding list of supervisory institutions such as securities authorities requiring disclosure)

ESG strategic opportunities and plans

ESG risks, information, management, mitigation, and treatment

Key Requirements

Quantitative Tools and Key Measurement of E, S, and G Metrics Qualitative Tools and Materiality in E, S, and G metrics

Case Studies – Examples of Reports and Disclosures in different systems

Framing the journey, identifying priorities and stakeholders at different stages of development

Producing Reports and Disclosures

Recent Developments

Technology:

• Overview of technology solutions and selecting the right technology when developing an ESG reporting strategy, i.e. ─ software platforms, cloud-based analytics, plug-ins/add-ons to existing enterprise resource planning tools, and data methods and storage) ─ data should be able to be gathered and analysed consistently.

ESG compliance challenges (based on the ABA approach):

• Despite the benefits of ESG compliance, many countries and businesses face significant challenges in implementing effective ESG practices, for example:
• The regulatory environment for ESG compliance is complex and ever-changing. Countries and Companies must stay up to date with changes to the regulations and industry standards, which can be challenging to navigate.
• Collecting and managing data on ESG metrics can be a significant challenge for many Countries and companies. Data collection and management requires specialised expertise, and Countries and companies must be able to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data they collect.
• There are multiple frameworks for ESG reporting with varying standards, which makes it challenging for Countries and companies to compare their ESG performance to that of their peers.
• Implementing effective ESG practices can be expensive and require institutional change, and many Countries and companies may need more guidance, capacity, and resources in order to realize their ESG initiatives.

Course Advisor

Scott Walchak is a US qualified attorney and international PPP and Privatization consultant. He has worked with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) in the development of Public Private Partnership standards, best practices, and guidance materials and regularly advises governments in their infrastructure and service delivery and PPP capacity building and implementation. This includes serving as a senior legal advisor to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and their National Center for Privatization and PPP and previously serving in the Maryland and Washington D.C.’s Attorney General’s Office advising on their real estate, procurement, and economic development initiatives.

Scott also served as Director of Development for the ADEC Group of companies providing ESG, data, and professional services and leading the Group’s two non-profit initiatives supporting multilateral international organizations and domestic authorities with their sustainability and innovation projects.

Finally, Scott teaches at the International Law Institute in Washington D.C. in areas of PPP, procurement, and project monitoring and evaluation, and was previously an adjunct professor of law at the University of Baltimore School of Law, lecturing in areas of real estate and finance.