2023 ESG Virtual Summit

The secret to ESG is to measure, then manage

Companies should continue to anticipate greater scrutiny of their ESG performance. They need a strategy built on expertise and technology to support their efforts to reduce risk, improve performance and enhance brand reputation. It’s not only better for people and the planet, it’s also good for business because there are proven financial benefits.​

Paul Marushka, president and CEO at Sphera, shares insights into why operationalizing ESG using a sound strategy to collect data at the product, operational and enterprise level boosts a company’s ability to mitigate their ESG risks, identify opportunities and update policies and procedures. Because without data to measure, there is no data to manage.​ Because in order to manage your performance, you first need data to measure your performance.

Then, we’ll invite industry leaders to each tell their story about how they collect quality data, calculate a baseline, identify hotspots, set targets and use software to monitor and improve their ESG performance all while confidently communicating with their most important stakeholders.

How the evolving ESG regulatory landscape is impacting business

2022 brought a flurry of new rules, regulations and frameworks aimed at sustainable investing and the consideration of ESG factors, and we expect more in 2023. The shift from voluntary to mandatory ESG and climate-related disclosures is transforming corporate sustainability practice along the way.

Verdantix analyst Kim Knickle will set the stage by reviewing the latest regulatory developments and identifying the greatest challenges companies are facing due to these changes.

Our expert panelists will then discuss how companies can overcome these challenges, in particular those related to the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s climate-related disclosure rules.

Turn Scope 3 accounting challenges into decarbonization opportunities

In order to fully deliver on net-zero commitments, businesses must consider consider their Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions. While the measurement of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions has become relatively commonplace, tackling Scope 3—or value chain—emissions constitutes a major data challenge.

Sphera’s experts will share the five best practices of any successful decarbonization program, including some guidance about when to use spend-based vs. qualitative data for Scope 3 calculation methods. Additionally, industry-leading ESG businesses will provide examples of how they quantified their emissions, how they overcame their data challenges and what solutions they implemented to help manage and improve performance.

Building a culture of action-oriented decarbonization programs starts with life cycle assessments​

LCA helps identify and deliver environmental savings across your products’ value chains. But it can do more. When applied strategically, LCA can help your company build an actionable corporate decarbonization strategy. Marc Binder, VP Global Sustainability Consulting at Sphera, will share how LCA can help companies turn their ambitious decarbonization targets into effective action.

We will then provide an example of how a company can scale the LCA generation process to inform decarbonization strategy. Learn how Eastman is leading that charge by using Sphera’s Life Cycle Assessment Automation technology to scale up product carbon footprint and LCA data across their entire global portfolio.

How leading companies are using LCA data to drive ESG performance​

LCA models are no longer just being used as a tool to make material and product comparisons. Organizations are using this method and technology to pinpoint nodes in their supply chain where improvement can have a material effect on their ESG performance. In this session, you’ll learn from a panel of companies and Sphera consultants about how they’re driving innovations in this space.​

How to create the business case for LCA automation

LCA is becoming a critical technology for helping businesses meet ambitious net-zero targets and corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting requirements. However, LCA professionals are often unsure about how to connect LCA automation technology to outcomes. In this session, you’ll hear from Sphera experts about how LCA automation technology can support your organization’s ESG ambitions.

ESG, CSR and SCRM: The new source of competitive advantage

Building better supply chains today requires a new level of awareness for managing ESG and corporate social responsibility (CSR) requirements and the risks that accompany them. Presented by leading industry analyst Bertrand Maltaverne, this session will address the factors that are forcing organizations to change supply chain risk management (SCRM) and assess the importance of building C-level alignment to address today’s corporate sustainability goals and regulatory compliance mandates.

Embedding ESG into your ​supply chain risk program

Join leading practitioners for a panel discussion covering how they are looking at the evolution of CSR and ESG. This session will assess the current state of supply chains in 2023 and the challenges that lie ahead. Panelists will also address how industry and geography affect the ability to build sustainable supply chains​.

Recipe for success: Building resilient supply chains that foster ESG and sustainability​

Heiko Schwarz, the founder of riskmethods (now Sphera Supply Chain Risk Management), has provided leadership on successfully adopting SCRM technology for over a decade. Based on the quickly evolving ESG landscape, in this session, Heiko will provide his insights on what procurement and supply chain leaders need to do now to adapt their SCRM programs to ensure compliance with emerging regulatory requirements.