In less than a decade, the world has moved from questioning the value of corporate responsibility to demanding it, with consumers, media and civil society calling for a shift in business practices and the importance of holding power to account. This movement has created ever-growing pressure on companies around the globe to demonstrate that their operations and supply chains are responsible, and for governments and ruling bodies to implement supporting legislation.   

Given these developments, sustainability practices are being embedded in business practices at a fast pace, and professionals are faced with a challenging environment that calls for cross-function collaboration in all expertise areas.  

To meet this challenge, the Thomson Reuters Foundation will pilot a new training programme on 26, 27 & 28 June, to equip financial, legal and sustainability professionals to better measure and report on their “S” performance, prepare for upcoming ESG regulation and mandatory due diligence legislation relating to the “S” criteria, and adopt a “transparency mindset”. 

This hands-on training will combine carefully selected literature, in-depth sessions with experts, and practical case studies, to better understand how to strategically embed human rights social (“S”) considerations and to create resilient operations and value chains.  

The closing date for applications is 23 April 2023. 

Apply here 

Course objectives:  

This training provides experienced professionals with: 

• A deeper understanding of key issues, social standards and regulatory trends in responsible business practices relating to human rights under the “S” in ESG; 
• An action plan to embed responsible business practices and an ESG lens in their day-to-day work, with a focus on human rights risk, reporting, disclosure and human rights due diligence; 
• An opportunity to collaborate and join Thomson Reuters Foundation’s community of engaged professionals across sectors in the dynamic ESG regulatory and reporting landscape; 

• The development of practical skills to effectively address existing financial and reputational risk around the S in ESG, while building a forward-looking culture and practice that moves beyond compliance to keep pace with the changing ESG landscape. 

Benefits: 

• Access to a cross-functional interactive training programme, free of charge, designed to equip professionals with the most recent developments in the dynamic ESG landscape. 

Agenda 

 Overview: Four weeks prior to the in-person training, participants will receive a pre-training package with reading and podcast material, as well as an assignment to be completed one week prior to the in-person training.  All elements of the training will be held under the Chatham House Rule.  

Participants will meet in London on 26 & 27 June, with attendance on the third day, 28 June, being hybrid.  The programme will combine plenary sessions; participatory approaches bringing in perspectives from various stakeholders; and breakout sessions. There will be a focus on cross-functional collaboration to deliver effective solutions. The training will conclude with an assignment and an online session on what is needed to deliver change within their jobs.  

Following completion, participants will be asked to provide feedback to help shape the future programme. Following the training, participants will be invited to reconvene in the autumn for a virtual roundtable to share how they have been able to embed the learnings in their day–to-day work.    

Day 1 

The first day of the course will offer a variety of profession-specific and collaborative sessions that will include a panel debate, presentations, interactive discussions and a case study. Topics that will be covered include discussions over global drivers for the S in ESG and its business criticality in the face of new due diligence and reporting legislation. The sessions will provide participants with a deep dive into current legislation and standards, as well as concrete tools and approaches to embedding human rights due diligence and disclosure across business functions. Bespoke sessions for the financial reporting specialist will be developed and delivered by Mazars the international professional services firm. 

Day 2 

The second day of the course will include a combination of group working sessions, profession-specific interactive discussions, and assignments. The sessions will allow participants to engage with legislation and reporting standards for human rights-based remedy and stakeholder engagement, investor myths about S indicators in ESG, and the role of the board and good governance in relation to human rights risk. 

Day 3 

For the third and final half day, participants will be provided with a hybrid session, where they can attend in person or online according to their preference. Key learnings from the previous days’ training sessions will be revisited and reinforced with tangible advice that will enable them to apply immediate changes to their practices and ways of working on their return to the office. An additional session by Forum For The Future on futures and systems-wide thinking will prepare participants to be agile in the face of a rapidly changing ESG landscape.  Participants will be encouraged to demonstrate how they expect to be able to apply learnings in their daily work. 

Trainers: 

This programme was developed in partnership with experts Anna Triponel and Malin Helgesen, from Human Level, an expert advisory firm that empowers progressive companies to be human rights confident.