Board Communication and Engagement in the Era of ESG and Stakeholder Capitalism 

Last week, the ESG Center held its third session on the Roles of the Board in the Era of ESG and Stakeholder Capitalism, which focused on the two connected topics of (1) internally briefing your board on ESG issues and stakeholder expectations and (2) the board’s role in approving communications and engaging with stakeholders.

Below are a few insights from the discussion.

• Don’t stress: you can set reasonable expectations on achieving board fluency in ESG. With over 200 issues across the ‘E’, ‘S’, and ‘G’, boards cannot possibly address them all (nor should they). There are three main filters that management can use. First, focus on those areas that are strategi