The Pre-Read

This week, host Mandi McReynolds is joined by Peter Land, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer at DICK'S Sporting Goods. Peter shares how a large consumer brand took a stand to advocate for youth sports and gun reform. They discuss the risks, opportunities, and costs of public accountability for brands. Resources: 1) DICK'S Sporting Goods 2021 Purpose Playbook - https://investors.dicks.com/news/sideline-report/blog-story-details/2022/A-TEAM-EFFORT-INTRODUCING-THE-2021-PURPOSE-PLAYBOOK/default.aspx 2) DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation Sports Matter program - https://www.sportsmatter.org/ 3) Sandy Hook Promise - https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/

Barjouth Aguilar, Head of Global Sustainability at Flex, joins Workiva's Mandi McReynolds on this week's episode of ESG Talk. Learn how Flex has embedded sustainability into its supply chain and manufacturing operations, embraced sustainable finance, and localized ESG strategy in more than 100 facilities across the globe. Resources: 1) Flex - Our Sustainability - https://flex.com/company/our-sustainability 2) Flex Foundation - https://flex.com/company/our-sustainability/flex-foundation 3) McKinsey & Company - https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/building-sustainability-into-operations

This week, host Mandi McReynolds is joined by Beth Wood, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Principal Financial Group® and the chair of the Principal ESG Task Force. In recognition of National Women's Small Business Month, Beth shares how her experience running a small business prepared her to drive ESG strategy for a Fortune 500 company and describes the innovative Principal® Global Financial Inclusion Index. Resources: 1) Principal Financial Group ESG Strategy - https://www.principal.com/sustainability/esg-strategy 2) Global Financial Inclusion Index - https://www.principal.com/financial-inclusion 3) Edelman Trust Barometer - https://www.edelman.com/trust/2022-trust-barometer

We're chatting about how startups and small to midsize enterprises play a critical role in our global economy and how they can engage in ESG moving forward. Host Mandi McReynolds shares three fundamental principles for startups and SMEs to consider when implementing ESG into their business strategy. Resources: 1) World Economic Forum article - https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/09/what-start-ups-think-about-esg-and-why-it-matters/ 2) UN Global Compact participants - https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/participants 3) UN Global Compact resources - https://www.unglobalcompact.org/take-action/leadership 4) Kevin O'Leary on ESG: Straight Talk from Mr. Wonderful - https://www.workiva.com/blog/kevin-oleary-esg-straight-talk-mr-wonderful

George Serafeim, Harvard Business School professor and author, discusses the humanistic element of ESG and practical tips for driving purpose and profit. Topics include the role of individuals in driving change, the increasing demand for stakeholder engagement, and businesses embracing a humanistic approach and integrating ESG.

This is an illuminating conversation between Shivaram Rajgopal, Kester and Byrnes Professor at Columbia Business School, and host Mandi McReynolds. Listen as they discuss his pragmatic approach to ESG as illustrated in his three-part Forbes article series ESG – A Defense, A Critique, And A Way Forward: An Evidence-Driven Pragmatic Perspective. Resources: 1) ESG – A Defense, A Critique, And A Way Forward: An Evidence-Driven Pragmatic Perspective - https://www.forbes.com/sites/shivaramrajgopal/2022/08/21/esg--a-defense-a-critique-and-a-way-forward-an-evidence-driven-pragmatic-perspective/ 2) ESG – A Defense, A Critique (part 2), And A Way Forward: An Evidence-Driven Pragmatic Perspective - https://www.forbes.com/sites/shivaramrajgopal/2022/08/28/esg--a-defense-a-critique-part-2-now-and-a-way-forward-an-evidence-driven-pragmatic-perspective/ 3) ESG – A Defense, A Critique, And A Way Forward (part 3): Evidence-Driven Pragmatic Perspective - https://www.forbes.com/sites/shivaramrajgopal/2022/09/01/esg--a-defense-a-critique-and-a-way-forward-part-3-now-evidence-driven-pragmatic-perspective/ 4) Website - https://www.shivarajgopal.com/

The focus of our chat today is acronyms. Every business has acronyms. The ESG acronym soup can be overwhelming and confusing, but do not let that deflect from your determination to learn. We need a common understanding of key terms to help each other drive business value and society forward. Resources: 1) ESG Decoded Podcast - https://climeco.com/esg-decoded-podcast/ 2) Sustainability Decoded Podcast - https://link.chtbl.com/SustainabilityDecoded-McReynolds

Join our author chat with Simon Mundy, Moral Money editor at the Financial Times and author of Race for Tomorrow: Survival, Innovation and Profit on the Front Lines of the Climate Crisis. He and host Mandi McReynolds discuss takeaways from his journey in 26 countries covering the biggest story of the century and how we move forward as a global society to address climate transition. Resources: 1) Race for Tomorrow - https://www.simonmundy.com/book 2) Financial Times Moral Money - https://www.ft.com/moral-money 3) Simon Mundy YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/SimonMundy 4) Website - https://www.simonmundy.com/

Join the conversation with Jared Forman, Managing Partner, ESG & Climate Risk at FORVIS, as he and host Mandi McReynolds discuss managing risk, board engagement on ESG, and insights from Workiva's participation in the FORVIS risk scenario workshop. Resources: 1) FORVIS ESG & Climate Risk - https://www.forvis.com/services/esg-climate-risk 2) Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) - https://www.garp.org/ 3) ESG Today - https://www.esgtoday.com/

Join the conversation with Si-Yeon Kim, former EVP, Chief Risk & Compliance Officer, and Executive Chair of ESG at American Express Global Business Travel (2014 to 2022), as she and host Mandi McReynolds discuss finding your ESG superpower and how businesses can work together in an ecosystem to tackle complex topics such as scope 3 emissions, travel, and other elements of your ESG strategy. Resources: 1) LinkedIn Poll on Sustainable Business Travel - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mandimcreynolds_esgtalk-esg-sustainability-activity-6961001859696259072-M2kt/ 2) Antea Group: Engaging Supply Chain on Scope 3 for Strategic Advantage - https://us.anteagroup.com/news-events/blog/engaging-supply-chain-on-scope-3-for-strategic-advantage 3) Antea Group:10 Ways Your Business Can Reduce Its Carbon Footprint - https://us.anteagroup.com/news-events/blog/10-ways-business-reduce-carbon-footprint