Services Portfolio

In the Era of Increased Investor and Stakeholder Expectations Regarding Corporate Sustainability – What We Can Do For You? 

SUSTAINABILITY | ESG | CLIENT SERVICES
Environmental Concerns – Social Concerns – Governance Issues
and Corporate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of importance to investors and analysts

Conditions in capital markets are rapidly changing…especially in the ways by which investors and stakeholders perceive corporations, and evaluate current or potential portfolio holdings. Boards and executives of public companies are being challenged to meet the rising expectations and demands of asset owners and managers, especially in the area of Sustainability.   Corporate Accountability and Sustainability are front-of-mind concerns for a widening range of internal and external stakeholders: investors, financial analysts, employees, business partners, customers, regulators, company peers and even competitors in domestic and global marketplaces.

New market players and investment approaches are influencing valuations…corporate reputations…determining capital allocations…shaping the corporation’s license to operate and ability to transact…attract investors and partners…and more.

Welcome to the “new normal” of the markets and the corporate world as this first event-filled decade of the 21^st Century draws to a close.  What’s ahead?  What challenges will be posed to your enterprise in 2010 and beyond? 

The rapidly evolving and deployed frameworks and guidelines constructed on the basis of “ESG” and “Sustainability” factors are being implemented by a growing number of capital market players and stakeholders to sort corporations into tomorrow’s market winners, laggards and losers. (ESG = key performance indicators on corporate environmental, social issues and corporate governance policies, practices and behaviors.)

Governance & Accountability Institute is a knowledge management center and  research-based advisory organization that provides a portfolio of services to corporations to help boards, executives and managers understand, embrace and excel on Sustainability and ESG issues and performance to meet and exceed stakeholder expectations.

The Institute’s INSIGHTS-edge^SM platform for clients and subscribers identifies, monitors and reports on the third party organizations that are re-shaping markets.  We watch the watchers and monitor the monitors who are busily creating and operating in the new normal of the capital markets and operating environment for the corporate sector.

Our services are designed to help bridge the relationship of corporate and stakeholder, corporate and investment community, to understand, evaluate, address, engage, and resolve gaps in Sustainability and ESG issues.  The Institute’s staff and network of Subject Matter Experts and partnering organizations are ready to serve you – contact us for information and confidential consultation.

SERVICES PORTFOLIO
Initial Overview – Assessment – Peer Comparisons – Evaluation of Marketplace Expectations – Investor Positions – Marketing Environment - Compliance

We provide clients with confidential assessment of the organization’s immediate and longer-term opportunities and vulnerabilities as the need to meet and exceed stakeholders’ expectations, requests and demands in the areas of Sustainability and ESG performance increases.

Pulse-taking – Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Assessment

What are the risks and opportunities inherent in Sustainability issues (such as the evolution of corporate reporting on climate change issues)?  The Institute’s team members have collective decades of experience in helping corporate leaders manage critical issues and crises events, from response through recovery and restoration, and rebuilding post-crisis.  The focus on Sustainability and ESG issues dramatically raises the bar for ERM in large corporations – the Institute can assist in design, implementation, fine-tuning of programs, training, and other aspects of ERM.

Knowledge Base – “Sustain-a-Plex” ™ by the Institute
The Institute’s team of Subject Matter Experts, network of consultants and experts, technology base, client engagement experience, comprehensive databases, and sustainability library form valuable resources for clients – these are the “Sustain-a-Plex” resources available to clients.

Third Parties - Identification – Monitoring – Evaluation of Key Issue Agents
The universe of third party “issue shapers and change agents” focused on Sustainability issues is growing and expanding in influence; some are capital market players (researchers, financial analysts, asset owners and managers), others are influencers who directly and indirectly shape corporation reputations and valuations.  We help companies (and investors) identify and monitor the activities of these important third parties.

Advice – Counsel – Recommendations for Considerations
Regarding the universe third parties: Should you engage…or not?  If the decision is a “yes,” then what and how are the best approaches to engage with activists and advocates and those third parties focused on your corporation?  Our team has years of successful engagement with third party organizations and thought leaders…we help clients engage, mediate and resolve issues…we provide clients with solutions to achieve successful engagement.

Effective Engagement – Stakeholders
Our philosophy of successful third party engagements is based on our unique approach:  Know –
Understand – Evaluate - Engage – Negotiate - Agree – Resolve

Corporate Response to Third Party Inquiries – Advice and Support
Got questionnaire fatigue?  With the rising interest in Sustainability and ESG analysis and investment frameworks, corporate issuers are being approached in varying ways by an expanding universe of service providers – we help staff be more effective in responding to inquiries – to help clients get their story heard and understood. 

This is especially important for such initiative as the Carbon Disclosure Project and the Global Reporting Initiative (both have important implications for companies regarding perceptions of shareholders and impact on operations regarding climate change issues).

Strategies – Tactical Support
Stratagems – the work of generals – We are available to advise and support the generals creating Sustainable cultures, governance, responsibility initiatives and focused on baking Sustainability into the DNA and culture of their organizations.

Investment Community Communication
The Institute’s partnering organizations assist corporations in communicating with, and in-person meetings with investors (owners and managers) focused on ESG and Sustainability issues. (Through direct communications, investor road shows, conference calls, Webinars, special reports, and other effective means.)

Effective Communications
This is where the rubber meets the road:  The story of the corporate Sustainability effort must be told, effectively and to the right audiences. Through the Institute’s affiliate organization, Boerner Communications, Inc., a range of services is separately provided.   See:  “Sustainability Communications” at www.boernercommunications.com for details.