Making Sustainability Sustainable: laying the foundations for future success

Tuesday, 26 November, 09:30 – 18:00

DLA Piper
160 Aldersgate
London
EC1A 4HT

This event is a full-day experience bringing together high-level professionals consisting of DLA Piper partners, General Counsel and C-Suite business executives, Chief Legal Officers, Chief Sustainability Officers and Heads of Risk and Compliance from across the Consumer Goods, Food and Retail sector (CGFR).

We’re at a pivotal moment for sustainability.

The past decade has seen a substantial increase in regulation focused on climate, nature and social issues. Mandatory sustainability reporting requirements are coming into force around the world. New laws targeting supply chain sustainability are also on the rise. As a result, in-scope CGFR companies are increasingly compelled to understand their direct and indirect environmental and social impacts in greater detail than ever before.

To understand how CGFR companies are responding to this new era of sustainability, DLA Piper commissioned research among 600 senior business leaders in the sector. Our research uncovers the long-term commercial risks emerging from short-term pressure to act on sustainability. Informed by these perspectives, this report highlights opportunities to strengthen business – not just compliance – and offers practical insight to help companies build a strategic response to sustainability.

Join us for a day of insightful discussions and debate as we explore sustainable practices and strategies for future success. Understand how CGFR companies are approaching the new era of sustainability and explore opportunities to strengthen business – not just compliance.

When you attend, you will:

• discover what your industry peers think the biggest sustainability challenges are – now and in the future
• understand how they’re preparing to meet growing sustainability regulation and scrutiny 
• see how short-term actions are creating future risks so that you can get ahead
• have access comprehensive data on what CGFR organisations are doing to comply in three critical areas:
• reporting data and information.
• legal and compliance infrastructure.
• supply chain transparency.
• get practical tips on steps for building a strategic response:
• driving the right sustainability strategy, narrative and values from the board down.
• be in a better position to enhance data accessibility, quality and capabilities across your company and its supply chains.

Time Topic

09:30 – 10:00   Breakfast and networking


10:00 – 10:10   Invite guest to take seats


10:10 – 10:20   Welcome and introduction of key findings


10:20 – 11:00   Panel 1: Increased sustainability risk is putting businesses under pressure

• Difficulty keeping up with new regulation and growing scrutiny
• New legal obligations
• Growing stakeholder scrutiny
• Emerging compliance gaps
• Growing litigation threat
• Greenwashing/greenhushing

11:00 – 11:20   Panel 1 Q&A


11:20 – 11:30   Break


11:30 – 12:10   Panel 2: Closer engagement with supply chains to mitigate sustainability risk

• How disclosure requirements are reshaping supply chains
• Impact of rationalising supplier bases
• The data challenge
• Managing potential antitrust risk

12:10 – 12:30   Panel 2 Q&A


12:30 – 13:15   Lunch


13:15 – 13:55   Panel 3: Reconfiguring operations to reduce the compliance burden

• Consequences of dual structures and relocating
• Diluting progress towards sustainability
• Potential for greater regulatory uncertainty and reporting complexity
• Decentralisation of risk


13:55 – 14:10   Panel 3 Q&A


14:10 – 14:20   Break & move to breakout sessions


14:20 – 15:05   Breakout session 1 

Main auditorium: Embedding sustainability from the top down
Mini auditorium: The data challenge & supply chain diligence


14:50 – 15:00   Break


15:10 – 15:55   Breakout session 2


Main auditorium: Embedding sustainability from the top down
Mini auditorium: The data challenge & supply chain diligence


16:00 – 16:10   Break


16:10 – 16:40   Plenary: Key takeaways from each breakout


16:45 – 17:30   Panel 4: Practical actions to strengthen your whole business, not just compliance

• Benefits of a cross functional approach
• Improving supply chain transparency
• Mapping litigation risk exposure
• Strengthening governance and controls
• Stakeholder management & engagement
• Investing and upskilling people


17:30 – 17:45   Panel 4 Q&A


17:45 – 17:50   Round up and thank you


17:50   Onwards drinks/networking