Dave Curran Quoted in Reuters on Critical Role of Compliance Departments for ESG
July 21, 2021
Chief Sustainability and ESG Officer Dave Curran was quoted in a Reuters article, “INSIGHT: ESG Is More Than Just a New Burden For Compliance.”
Although there is no one-size-fits-all ESG approach for organizations, Dave noted, the compliance department generally plays a critical role in a company’s governance structure, and should hold a seat at the ESG table alongside general counsel. “The best place to track, measure, monitor and report [on ESG] is compliance, as it’s the only function within organizations that has enterprise-wide visibility and processes in place,” Dave said. Dave also discusses the shift in approach to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)—ESG issues that have historically been handled by HR, but that now require oversight by general counsel and compliance, “because the risks of getting it wrong now are so significant,” he said. For companies just starting to navigate the world of ESG, Dave suggests focusing on governance first, because “environmental and social are areas where people can be very emotional,” Dave said.