SGV Financial Accounting Advisory Services (FAAS) and Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) Partner Benjamin “Benjie” N. Villacorte (BNV) and CCaSS Senior Director Crystal Aleli R. Cornell served as resource speakers at Bicol University’s three-day training entitled “International Webinar on Organizations' Resiliency, Inclusivity and Sustainability towards Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG)” held virtually via Zoom from 18 to 20 April 2023. BNV and Crystal led the ESG Conceptual Framework session on the second day.
Crystal and Benjie receive their respective certificates of appreciation
Benjie began the session with an introduction to ESG, including the relevant factors and examples of ESG-related issues, and an overview of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He also discussed the drivers of sustainability, including stakeholder expectations, regulatory requirements, and employee and consumer response.
Benjie concluded his discussion with a view on the impact of sustainability on long-term value. He shared the importance of future-proofing sustainability through creating a strategic focus that benefits all stakeholders not just immediately, but also in the future. Benjie anchored his statement on a quote from Steven Varley and Steven Lewis, top executives at EY, which highlighted the need to integrate both the financial and non-financial aspects of business.
Crystal, on the other hand, focused on the global landscape of sustainability reporting and the benefits of sustainability reporting assurance. She introduced the current trends in sustainability reporting, such as the increasing prevalence of environmental and social issues in business. She also discussed the existing international frameworks that companies commonly use in sustainability reporting, as well as the contents of a good sustainability report. To contextualize the topic, Crystal showcased SGV’s Beyond the Bottomline: Sustainability Reporting in the Philippines publication, which reviewed the sustainability reports of publicly listed companies in the country.
She concluded her talk by outlining relevant points and conducting an interactive activity to further drive home the concepts from her discussion. To garner commitment from the audience, the participants were asked to share a pledge to promote ESG in business and incorporate sustainability in their daily lives.
