Part I-2 Understanding Sustainability Issues Flashcards
SASB sustainability topics are organized under 5 broad sustainability dimensions:
Environment, Social Capital, Human Capital, Business Model & Innovation, Leadership & Governance
What sustainability topics are organized under Environment?
GHG Emissions Air Quality Energy Management Water & Wastewater Management Waste & Hazardous Materials Management Ecological Impacts
What sustainability topics are organized under Social Capital?
Human Rights & Community Relations Customer Privacy Data Security Access & Affordability Product Quality & Safety Customer Welfare Selling Practices & Product Labelling
What sustainability topics are organized under Human Capital?
Labor Practices
Employee Health & Safety
Employee Engagement, Diversity and Inclusion
What sustainability topics are organized under Business Model & Innovation?
Product Design & Lifecycle Management Business Model Resilience Supply Chain Management Materials Sourcing & Efficiency Physical Impacts of Climate Change
What sustainability topics are organized under Leadership & Governance?
Business Ethics Competitive Behavior Management of the Legal & Regulatory Environment Critical Incident Risk Management Systemic Risk Management
What are GHG emissions?
Emissions that contribute to global warming - from both stationary (factories, power plants) and mobile (delivery vehicles and airplanes), whether as a result of fuel combustion or non-combusted direct releases during activities such as natural resource extraction, power generation, land use, or biogenic processes.
What is one guiding principle of disclosure topics in the SASB standards?
One guiding principle for the selection of disclosure topics in the SASB standards , is that the topic must be “actionable” by companies - and fall under the direct control or influence of the entity
For the purposes of disclosure, SASB accounts for indirect emissions by capturing (blank)…
operational and/or strategic factors (or actionable “levers”) that give rise to such emissions
What is Air Quality?
Air Quality - captures data on the management of airborne pollutants that harm the health of humans and other living creatures - may result from stationary , mobile and industrial sources
The issue of air quality tends to be relevant to companies involved in (blank)
extraction activities, manufacturing and transportation
T/F - Emissions abatement measures can be incredibly costly and evolving regulations on air quality have the potential to add to a company’s compliance costs
True
Unlike GHG emissions, which captures emissions as an operational by-product, this issue captures a company’s management of energy as a key input
Energy Management
Users may derive value-related insights on energy management by looking at topics such as (blank)
energy efficiency and intensity, energy mix, and grid reliance
Scope 1 GHG emissions disclosure applies to companies in industries that (blank) - such as Transportation sector (airlines, cruise lines) and those that produce energy (coal operations, oil and gas services)
own or control direct emissions sources
Emissions-limiting regulations that impact energy (blank) can result in financial impacts for energy (blank) when additional costs of compliance are passed down to customers
producers - users
T/F - Potential increases in the cost of energy due to regulation of energy producers are an important financial risk for companies that heavily rely on energy as an input for value creation
True
What information about energy management provides users with a view of a company’s management of the financial risks posed by indirect emissions and demonstrates how a company mitigates indirect emissions by managing its energy and use mix?
Total energy usage
Percentage of energy purchased (Scope 2)
Energy by source
What is Water & Wastewater Management?
Water & Wastewater Management - addresses a company’s water use, water consumption, wastewater generation and other impacts
What is Waste & Hazardous Materials Management?
Waste & Hazardous Materials Management - addresses environmental management associated with hazardous and non-hazardous waste generated by companies
What is an example of waste from a company in the Food Retailers & Distributors Industry?
Food waste represents a loss of natural resources and inventory where edible or otherwise useful food does not reach consumers
T/F - food waste contributes to methane emissions in landfills - and indirect form of emissions from the company
True
What are Ecological Impacts?
Ecological Impacts - the productivity of our natural environment is directly linked to natural biodiversity levels, and therefore must be protected and sustainably managed to ensure these goods and service can continue to be provided in the long-term
Which issue is often relevant to companies that use and modify significant areas of land as a main input for value creation (i.e.natural resource extraction, cultivation, construction)) ?
Ecological Impacts
What is Social Capital?
Social Capital - expectation that a business will contribute to society in return for a social license to operate
What are Human Rights & Community Relations?
Human Rights & Community Relations - relationships between businesses and communities in which they operate, including the management of direct and indirect impacts on human rights and treatment of Indigenous people
T/F - Companies frequently need support from local communities to be able to obtain permits and leases and conduct their activities without disruptions
True
T/F - Environmental impacts (air pollution and waste which impact health and safety of communities) and human rights/community relations are more insightful when defined as a combined issue
False - when defined as a separate issue
What is customer privacy?
Customer Privacy - customer trust, where companies are expected to be transparent with customers about how their data is being used or sold to maintain the trust of customers
What is behavioral advertising?
Data generated from consumer activity can be used to better understand customer pain points and unmet needs, as well as to deliver more relevant products and services
The scope of risk in customer privacy includes:
social issues that may arise from a company’s approach to collecting data, obtaining consent, managing user and customer expectations of data use, and managing evolving regulations