NAEM’s 2017 Sustainability Conference to Explore Emerging Issues, New Areas for EHS&S Leadership

As companies integrate sustainability deeper into the fabric of their businesses, it is changing more than just how they manage themselves—it’s shaping their relationships with suppliers, stakeholders and investors as well.
 
At NAEM’s 2017 Sustainability Management Conference on July 31-August 2 in Chicago, the association will explore some of these emerging management practices, with an emphasis on how individual environmental, health and safety, and sustainability (EHS&S) leaders are translating aspirational ideas into operational success.

“We are proud to present a sustainability agenda this year that provides actionable strategies our members can use to be more effective in their companies and make a stronger impact on the broader community,” said Executive Director Carol Singer Neuvelt.
 
One such example, she said is the session on “Addressing Social Issues in the Supply Chain,” which will focus on how labor conditions and human rights are becoming incorporated into how companies select, prioritize and audit supply chain partners.
 
“The growing commitment to ensuring that a company’s products are coming from a safe and healthy supply chain is something that NAEM has been tracking through our trends research for several years,” Ms. Neuvelt said. “This issue is a core challenge for global EHS&S management and something that leadership companies are actively working to address.” 

Part of this new focus on the full product lifecycle is coming from the ever-increasing demand for transparency around companies’ environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks. 

To help attendees understand the latest trends in how leading ESG reporting frameworks are evaluating the data they collect, NAEM will host a pre-conference workshop on “Sustainability Reporting Frameworks”.  The half-day seminar will give attendees the chance to learn directly from representatives from the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project).

The conversation about supply chain sustainability will continue after the conference adjourns on Aug. 2, when CDP will host a roundtable discussion on the organization’s deforestation and supplier engagement rating programs. Registered attendees and CDP members will learn how they can begin to engage suppliers to set public goals and targets.

The conference will also explore the investor’s perspective with a session that will shed light on how EHS&S professionals can strengthen internal relationships with the finance and investor relations functions to advance sustainability goals.  

“This year’s agenda and the issues that are at the forefront of corporate sustainability management reflect that sustainability is no longer limited to a set of isolated programs,” Ms. Neuvelt said. “Sustainability is a conversation about long-term business strategy and risk management, and we’re excited to be a part of advancing that dialogue.”

To learn more about the agenda for NAEM’s 2017 Sustainability Management Conference, please visit:  http://corporatesustainabilitymanagement.naem.org/index.php.

About NAEM
The National Association for Environmental Management (NAEM) empowers corporate leaders to advance environmental stewardship, create safe and healthy workplaces, and promote global sustainability. As the largest professional community for EHS and sustainability decision-makers, we provide peer-led educational conferences, benchmarking research and an active network for sharing solutions to today's corporate EHS and sustainability management challenges. Visit NAEM online at www.naem.org.