A company and investor engagement story

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This session takes a deep dive into the sustainability lens from a large corporate view and how investors and corporates are working together to create lasting impact.[vc_quotes layout=”accordion” 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Key takeaways

Beatriz
  • We set bold ambitions with decade-long timeframes.
  • Even during the pandemic, positive work must keep moving. If something is truly core to your strategies, find a way to maintain momentum in the short-term to achieve long-term targets.
  • Targets must be clearly defined and clearly understood.
  • Business planning is critical to achieving growth, not just mitigating risk.
  • There is significant value in having your impact data independently audited.
  • CocaCola has created 1000 new recipes and this was in part due to strategy and sustainability engagement with Robeco.
  • It is critically important to focus the business strategy around what the public most care about.
  • The right behaviours must be incentivised appropriately for both short- and long-term.
  • When investors demonstrate care through engagement, so will everybody else.
  • ‘Robeco have made us better. They forced us to wake up. They forced us to make sure we did not become obsolete.’
  • I cheer the investment community for driving investee companies in the right direction.
Peter
  • We challenge companies on their strategic direction. It is important that investee companies have a clear North Star.
  • Tension through the engagement process can help achieve better outcomes. Have the courage to ask investee companies whether their strategy transformation is moving fast enough.
  • It is important to identify where sustainability efforts can be accelerated. There must be a long-term commitment to engagement.

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China ESG risk: the next unknown

China ESG risk: the next unknown

One of the most important, upcoming challenges at CalSTRS is how the fund should evaluate Chinese investments from a human capital and environmental standpoint, says Chris Ailman, chief investment officer at the giant pension fund.

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