Corporate ESG: Talk versus Action
9am – 10am PST

Many companies have moved beyond the debate over whether to take into account the interests of stakeholders other than shareholders, and are grappling with the practical challenges of effectively implementing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) – oriented reforms. What concrete steps are companies actually taking to advance their ESG agendas, and what obstacles do they face? How are companies weighing and prioritizing the potentially competing interests of different stakeholder groups? How are companies evaluating the practical and policy limitations of corporate reform as a means to improve social and environmental outcomes? In which areas is action by governments essential to achieve improved social and environmental outcomes, and in which areas are corporations able to partner with governments to achieve these outcomes? Join a prominent panel of speakers on the front lines of stakeholder-oriented capitalism for a discussion of the potential and limitations of corporate ESG-oriented reform efforts.

Curtis Milhaupt William F. Baxter-Visa International Professor of Law, Stanford Law School

Dambisa Moyo Board Member, 3M, Chevron, Conde Naste, Oxford University Endowment Investment Committee

Sunya Norman Senior Director, Global Impact, Salesforce

Ashley Walter Partner, Orrick

Workforce Policies in the Age of Stakeholder Governance
10:15am – 11:15am PST

Over the past few decades, worker productivity has become divorced from worker pay, with productivity rising exponentially and pay largely stagnating. Economic inequality, whether measured through the gaps in income or wealth between richer and poorer households, continues to widen. In addition, the rise of a “gig” economy has eroded traditional economic relationships between workers, businesses, and clients and led to the hiring of more independent contractors and freelancers instead of full-time employees. Workers typically don’t have a role in decision-making that affects them and the companies they work for. In an effort to amplify their voices, some tech workers are waging collective action campaigns and embracing unions. Join a distinguished panel of speakers to examine whether and how a redefined corporate purpose that purports to benefit all stakeholders could – and should – impact corporate policies and practices around workers. Panelists will address a variety of topics, including whether workers should have a greater voice in the governing process and the form that representation should take, how employees in the gig economy should be classified, tech worker unionization, and issues around fair compensation.

William B. Gould IV Charles A. Beardsley Professor of Law (Emeritus), Stanford Law School; Former Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board

Megan Driscoll Equal Pay Advocate; Founder & CEO of Megan Driscoll Consulting

Loren Kaye President, California Foundation for Commerce and Education

David White National Executive Director of SAG-AFTRA

Building the “S” in an ESG Framework
11:30am – 12:30pm PST

Companies hoping to report on their “S” or social performance face a high hurdle. Social metrics are primarily concerned with the company’s own or its suppliers’ treatment of employees, and the company’s impact on the communities in which it operates. These types of social impacts, risks, and opportunities may be difficult and costly to track, measure, and compare across industries.

How can companies achieve high-quality reporting on social impacts? What improvements must be made to the processes for promulgating and auditing this data, as well as to the regulatory enforcement landscape, in order to produce accurate, objective, and verifiable social metrics? How should companies, investors, and other stakeholders deal with social impacts that cannot be accurately measured? How does certification fit into this discussion? Join a distinguished panel of speakers to learn practical tips for building the infrastructure needed to produce high-quality social metrics.

Maha Eltobgy Senior Director, Head of Investors Industries, Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum

Colleen Honigsberg Associate Professor of Law, Stanford Law School

Avedis Seferian President & CEO, Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP)

Genevieve Taft-Vazquez Global Director, The Coca-Cola Company