Corporate boards in the United States are increasingly considering ESG performance measures in incentive plans. However, there are important questions to ask about the benefits of incorporating ESG measures into compensation, the risks of doing so, and the challenges of communicating with investors, affected employees and others about what the company is doing and why. Those questions are even more urgent today, as companies face skepticism about whether ESG can drive financial performance.
Companies can successfully link compensation to ESG, but it requires a rigorous and methodical approach tailored to the company’s particular circumstances and strategy. Here are five questions directors should ask management, what they should look for in each answer and potential red flags in those answers. READ MORE