Actualidad

The state of corporate governance in the era of sustainability risks and opportunities

World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)

In late March, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) published the report “The state of corporate governance in the era of sustainability risks and opportunity”, analyzing the role of boardrooms in the creation of long-term sustainable value.

The paper also outlines the international situation[1] of corporate governance and emphasizes the importance of promoting its effective practice taking into consideration the needs of all stakeholders.  It pays particular attention to the impact of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) and describes how different countries’ legislations have adopted the principle of “comply or explain”.

In terms of the current situation, it contains information about the board structures of the countries in the analysis, the separation of responsibilities between the Chief Executive Officer and the President, the independence of board members and gender diversity, looking at mandatory female quotas and committees set up by companies either because the law requires them to do so, or on a voluntary basis.

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[1] The report presents the data obtained between July and December 2018 about 56 companies in 12 countries: Brazil, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States.