BSR Member Briefing on Freedom to Invest: A Response to ESG Backlash in the US

BSR Members Only

Date and Time

October 18, 2023
11:00 am-12:00 pm EDT

Location

Webinar

Event Resources

Event resources are for BSR members only. Members, please log in to access the resources.

Across the US, special interests and their political allies are working to ban businesses from integrating responsible investment and business practices into decision-making. These efforts have taken form through state legislation, congressional hearings, false media narratives, investigations by attorneys general, and letters by state treasurers, among other actions.  

In response, the call to protect the Freedom to Invest has rallied hundreds of private and public sector leaders from across the business world to remind policymakers that the economy will be stronger and more resilient if businesses can make their own investment decisions while considering all material financial risks and opportunities, including those related to climate change. Policymakers are listening, but more business voices are needed. 

Please join us for a BSR members-only communications briefing led by business marketing expert John Marshall, founder of the Potential Energy Coalition and former Chief Strategy Officer of the creative firm Lippincott. John will review the latest polling data and provide specific messaging guidance on how you can vocalize your commitment to responsible business practices and accelerate action on sustainability while staying out of the political fray. Steven M. Rothstein, Managing Director, Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets, will also be joining the discussion as we dive into the implications of these findings for BSR members navigating the evolving ESG landscape.

Scheduled Speakers

• John Marshall, Chairman and CEO, Potential Energy Coalition
• Steven M. Rothstein, Managing Director, Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets
• Laura Gitman, Chief Impact Officer, BSR
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Laura Gitman
Chief Impact Officer, BSR
New York
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Laura is a global expert on corporate sustainability, with two decades of experience in strategy consulting and has advised senior executives at global companies across a range of industry sectors and sustainability issues.
As Chief Impact Officer (CIO), the first in the organization’s 30-year history, Laura focuses on maximizing the impact of BSR’s work with its network of over 300 members, both through direct engagement on project work and as a mentor for teams throughout the organization. She also oversees BSR’s collaborative initiatives and the Center for Business and Social Justice, and a recognized thought leader and innovator in strategic business.
She has been an instrumental leader in BSR’s organizational growth and impact. She launched BSR’s financial services practice and New York office, and she served as Chief Operating Officer for five years, leveraging her strengths in strategy, organizational change, and people management. Laura works with leading global companies to develop and enhance their sustainability strategies to maximize value for business and society, and she is sought after to facilitate senior-level strategy workshops and multi-stakeholder collaborations.
She previously worked for Deloitte Consulting, where she acquired extensive strategy experience advising multinational financial services companies. She also worked on several community and economic development projects in Latin America.
Laura holds a MBA from Stanford University and a BS in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. She is an adjunct professor in the Bard MBA in Sustainability program, a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and a member of the UN Global Compact Expert Network.
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Recent Insights From Laura Gitman
• Racing Past the Crossroads: How Sustainability Leaders Can Reassert Ambition / October 31, 2024 / Blog
• Frankly Speaking #59, Laura Gitman: Which Future for Sustainability Leadership in the Company? / October 30, 2024 / News
• The CSO at a Crossroads: Three Paths Forward for Sustainability Leaders / October 17, 2024 / Reports
• ESG Scenarios: Leading Sustainability in a New Context / July 18, 2023 / Blog
• BSR Appoints Laura Gitman as First Ever Chief Impact Officer, Matthew Welch as New Chief Operating Officer / May 17, 2023 / News
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