Among the nonfinancial criteria businesses must increasingly consider to stay relevant to their key stakeholders are ESG or Environmental, Social and Governance or Sustainability factors. Beyond making smart business sense, Sustainability initiatives can help drive efficiency, increase customer and employee engagement and involve constituents in decisions that will likely affect critical ecological and social improvements.

In addition, issues such as energy efficiency, managing climate impact, supply chain improvements and utilization of renewable resources should be navigated for risk management and investor confidence. Investments in real estate and development are evaluated for sustainability by various players in the capital markets. Companies that can adapt and leverage the methods needed to achieve lower greenhouse gas impacts and sustainability will continue to drive innovation and reap the rewards.

Duane Morris LLP, a law firm with more than 900 attorneys in offices across the U.S. and internationally, has a dedicated team of professionals across practices and industries that provides counsel in the Sustainability space. They advise companies, communities, boards of directors and trade associations on various ESG and sustainability issues and challenges, including creating enterprise-wide strategy, policies and plans, as well as measuring, monitoring, verifying and reporting on compliance.