Episode Details

Claudia Toussaint, General Counsel of Xylem, provides a terrific discussion of ESG issues from the perspective of a publicly traded corporation’s general counsel. In a nutshell, Claudia describes how little acorns of ESG can grow into mighty oaks when corporate boards use ESG to guide their business strategies.

In this session, you’ll learn about:

• Claudia’s unique background
• What ESG is from a publicly traded company’s perspective
• Why the water sector is so central to ESG issues
• How sustainability has morphed from primarily being an environmental concept to a business and social concept
• Why an entity’s business strategy needs to align with its sustainability strategy
• The ESG issues involved in the Exxon Mobil proxy fight
• Why ESG needs to be front and center for publicly traded companies (guess what – the logic applies to all businesses!)
• Why it is critical for corporate boards to have an ESG strategy
• How ESG supports a corporation’s access to capital and lowers the cost of capital
• How ESG supports a corporation’s workforce and the corporation’s strategic direction
• How businesses measure ESG
• Why Claudia thinks the water sector can lead on ESG

Resources and links mentioned in or relevant to this session include:

• Claudia’s LinkedIn Page
• Xylem’s website
• Smart sewer technology satisfies EPA consent decree, saves city $400 million