Canada launches guidebook about environmental and sustainability matters to directors

The Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG), organization that promotes the best corporate governance practices, released a hands-on guide to help board members evaluate and supervise environmental and social (E&S) factors. The guidebook, which brings 29 practices recommended under eight key governance categories, aims to drive deeper dialogue between companies and investors, in addition to supporting boards in developing a robust approach to the topic.
The “Directors´ E&S Guidebook” was based on interviews with board members of major Canadian companies, combined with an extensive review of existing literature. The general recommendation is that each board should observe the importance of E&S factors for the organization and disclose material issues to their investors. Clarity, under the corporate culture category, is the first recommendation. The document emphasizes that “a clear vision for E&S management, with established priorities, provides a leadership compass and pathway for the organization.”
The board chairs Bill Anderson (Gildan Activewear Inc), Göran Ando (Novo Nordisk), R.H. Auchinleck (Telus Corporation), Patrick Daniel (Cenovus Energy) and Isabelle Marcoux (Transcontinental Inc) are some of the executives who contributed to the development of the guidebook.
The guidebook may be found here.