Sustainability and Climate Reporting

This class examines emerging trends and challenges in the corporate measurement and reporting of sustainability-related risks and opportunities, especially climate change. After an introduction to “stakeholder capitalism” and the range and meaning of the concept of “sustainability management,” the class explores and compares the two major sustainability reporting frameworks, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Sustainability Standards Accounting Board (SASB). It also examines the Integrated Reporting Framework, which combines financial and sustainability disclosure in one report. The class then probes how companies are reporting climate risks and opportunities, and evaluates the growing momentum to mainstream climate disclosure within company financial reports. Students will assess the overall sustainability performance and the robustness of climate disclosure of three leading companies in a sector of their choice.