Board/Management Interface on Climate

It has become imperative that boards increase dialogue with management related to climate action. Below is a summary of the forces we’ve seen driving engagement, the structural options for interaction, and some of the topics that may be part of the board/management dialogue.

“Convening a small group of board members and management to engage in climate education and align on material issues and priorities has been an important first step for the companies whose boards I serve on,” says Kristin Daley, a board director of McCain Foods Limited and Blue Diamond Growers. “While the initial heavy lifting is done by this group, because of the importance of climate to our businesses, we’ve found it important to engage the full board.”

Factors driving greater engagement:

There is a growing set of factors that are forcing the focus on climate to be even more seriously addressed by all levels of the organization. Given that climate risks are increasingly recognized as having existing or potential high impacts on the organization’s financial health, these factors are likely already impacting conversations and strategies at the board and management levels of the organization.