La Jolla energy conference

Sabine Hoefnagel, Global Director, Services, Brand and Communication, and a member of ERM's Executive Committee, participated in a virtual in-depth interview as part of the Institute of the America's 30th annual La Jolla Conference in May 2021. The La Jolla Conference has evolved over the years to include a more robust discourse around policy and regulatory issues, geopolitics, and the importance of understanding global energy and sustainability trends.

Sabine shared insights based on the SDG Survey 2021 published by ERM's SustainAbility Institute and Globescan as well as ERM's own analyses of how Latin America and the Caribbean have done in terms of the SDGs. Sabine noted that COVID will have major adverse impacts on social and economic goals in the region. As a result of the pandemic, Latin America and the Caribbean countries will likely underperform on SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth), and SDG 10 (Reduced inequalities), from now on.

Any progress on SDG 3 (good health and well-being) will be impacted by the pandemic, so looking for long-term strategies to become more resilient will become an additional pressing challenge for local governments and institutions.

UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF) and WBCSD event - Chief Sustainability Officers for SDGs

Linden Edgell, ERM's Global Sustainability Director, moderated a panel on Building Back Better – navigating business risks and opportunities in a post COVID-19 world. This online event brought together business leaders and sustainability champions from across the world to explore the lessons learned, highlight transformative solutions and build collaborative synergies around the new normal we want. 

The panel discussion focused on the main challenges and opportunities that we face and how business can navigate them to build back better and fix the shortcomings that hinder sustainable development. The panelists included: Alexandra Brand, Chief Sustainability Officer, Syngenta; Noppadol Dej-Udom, Chief Sustainability Officer, C.P. Group; Caroline Rees, President & CEO, Shift; Alan Knight, General Manager Corporate Responsibility, ArcelorMittal; and Martina Guarnaschelli, Embassy Secretary, International Organizations Department, and focal point for the National Social Policies Coordination Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina.

World Environment Center (WEC)

In May 2021, ERM presented the keynote address at the WEC workshop "How can Business Collaborate to Achieve Meaningful Impact on Advancing the SDGs?" This is WEC's annual discussion about how business can best contribute to the SDGs.

Since the adoption of the SDGs in 2015, the business community has underlined its support for them, understanding that not just governments but all stakeholders together bear responsibility to reach them. This WEC Roundtable provided an opportunity for business executives to discuss, under the Chatham House Rule, promising initiatives that companies have undertaken, and opportunities to do more. Participants discussed external expectations and opportunities for value creation, shared company examples and discussed lessons learned and opportunities for positive impact.

Speakers included Linden Edgell, Global Sustainability Director, ERM; Laura Street, Senior Consultant, the SustainAbility Institute; Herman Bril, CEO, Arabesque Asset Management; and Frank Werner, Director WEC Europe, WEC. ERM co-sponsored the event with Merck Darmstadt KGaA.

Chemicals management and the SDGs

Beth Dederick, ERM Partner, and Kate Sellers, ERM Technical Fellow, presented on the intersection of the SDGs and North American regulations, specifically the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), at a January 2021 webinar organized by Chemical Watch on “Global Chemicals Management Towards 2030 and Beyond.” Beth and Kate shared their insights on TSCA in the context of SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and SDG 12 (Sustainable Consumption and Production).

The US Environmental Protection Agency is advancing good health and well-being, and in so doing has created some new challenges for sustainable production of innovative, greener chemistries. ERM anticipates growing demand from companies for product compliance (e.g., supporting industry compliance with TSCA and therefore advancing SDG 3) and product sustainability (e.g., supporting industry as it moves away from “bad actor” chemicals and toward greener chemistry programs and therefore advancing SDG 12).

UN Global Compact Network UK

The UN Global Compact Network UK launched the Sustainable Development Goals Working Group, later re-named the Global Goals Working Group, to bring participating UK Network members together to discuss with experts and peers the challenges they are facing in effectively engaging on the SDGs and to share good practices and identify concrete actions that companies, both individually and as a group, can take to make progress. ERM is an active member of the Global Goals Working Group.

Shona King, ERM Global Sustainability & Foundation Manager, presented to the working group in March 2021 on ERM’s approach to the SDGs across our consulting services, operations and external engagements. The presentation was part of a highly interactive session for sharing challenges and opportunities with peer organizations regarding SDG strategy, impact measurement and senior leadership engagement. By sharing ERM’s approach, we are also inspiring other organizations to embed SDG action across their businesses.