How to standardise ESG reporting: a discussion with Veronica Poole (Deloitte), Paul Lee (investor adviser), Ben Yeoh (RBC) and Chris Fidler (CFAI).

Why you should watch: Many of us find the alphabet soup around ESG reporting – from the bodies involved to the names of different initiatives – baffling. This discussion, involving experts on accounting, investing and financial analysis, points to a way forward. It entails giving authority to a global standard-setter to harmonise the reporting rules. The issues include: what is “material” to different audiences, what can actually be measured, the impact of public policy, and how to capture a range of potential outcomes.

Moderator: Jane Fuller, co-director, CSFI

Panellists:

Veronica Poole is a partner and Global IFRS and Corporate Reporting Leader at Deloitte. Veronica recently chaired the Accountancy Europe taskforce that backed a broader role for the international standard-setter. She is a member of the UK FRC’s Corporate Reporting Council and of the International Integrated Reporting Council.

Paul Lee has worked in investment for 20 years, principally at Hermes and most recently at Aberdeen Standard Investments. He advises fund managers and asset owners on stewardship, ESG and responsible investment, and worked with Sir Donald Brydon on his Review of the Quality and Effectiveness of Audit.

Ben Yeoh is a senior Portfolio Manager for RBC Global Asset Management and sits on the Investor Advisory Group for the FRC. He chairs the Responsible Investment Advisory Committee of a leading sustainable investment trust and sits on the IASB’s Management Commentary Advisory Group.

Chris Fidler is senior director, global industry standards at CFA Institute, the international financial analysts’ organisation, which has published a set of proposed ESG reporting standards for investment products. Before joining CFAI, Chris was a management consultant at Thought Logic LLC.

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Produced/edited by Alex Treptow