During this session, we will cover a definition of ESG, the various kinds of ESG reporting regulations that are key to understand and pay attention to, as well as their specific impact on the real estate and construction industry. We will first lay out what data is required in each, and then discuss this at a simpler level so we can make it more relevant to your everyday job. We need all hands on deck during this transition, so it’s important for people across the various companies in a variety of positions to understand the importance of these and their impact on our industry. We will briefly discuss the history of ESG reporting requirements and why new additional government requirements are being put in place.
Geneviève Walker is the Visionary and Event Chair for this Building Transformations event. She has 20 years of experience in construction, real estate development and sustainability overseeing Development/Construction for over $2.5 billion in commercial office, industrial real estate, and EV charging/transportation decarbonization projects. She currently is a Net Zero Infrastructure Dev’t Expert at Hatch. Formerly, she acted as a North America Construction Manager on Amazon Last Mile Delivery Center then later became the North America Lead for Sustainable Transportation at Amazon, where she oversaw decarbonization strategy and helped supported over ten teams across Amazon.com and AWS on their path to Net Zero decarbonization. She acts as an industry ESG/Net Zero Subject Matter expert frequently posting on LinkedIn and speaking in undergraduate and graduate courses about the topics covered in this conference. Since 2010, she has worked on both sides of the border between Canada and the U.S and is a dual-national.
During this session, we will cover a definition of ESG, the various kinds of ESG reporting regulations that are key to understand and pay attention to, as well as their specific impact on the real estate and construction industry. We will first lay out what data is required in each, and then discuss this at a simpler level so we can make it more relevant to your everyday job. We need all hands on deck during this transition, so it’s important for people across the various companies in a variety of positions to understand the importance of these and their impact on our industry. We will briefly discuss the history of ESG reporting requirements and why new additional government requirements are being put in place.
Scott is a Partner in PwC’s ESG Reporting & Assurance practice. Through his experience working in Canada and internationally, he has gained a wealth of knowledge on sustainability risks and opportunities affecting businesses in multiple industries, allowing him to bring new ideas to his clients and help solve their complex problems.
Scott has assisted leading organizations in building trust around their sustainability performance and worked with clients to help meet their non-financial assurance needs. His expertise includes engagements on a variety of ESG topics including GHG emissions, IFRS sustainability standards, TCFD, financed emissions, and sustainable finance. Scott has led a variety of engagements involving reporting system implementation, providing both advice and assurance readiness assessments.
Scott sits on the AASB’s Sustainability Assurance Advisory Committee, helping to shape the future of sustainability assurance within Canada. He is an active contributor and developer of PwC’s thought leadership pieces, mostly recently around the impact of ISSB developments, ESG reporting insights, and sustainable finance. Scott is a frequent speaker at ESG events/conferences.
Scott also leads PwC’s ESG recruiting team and is actively involved in shaping the future for ESG talent. He holds his CPA, CA designation and graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a business degree.
Sarah is an ESG and climate change expert with over a decade of work experience as a thought leader, consultant, facilitator, and auditor. She regularly presents to Executive teams and Boards of Directors on the link between ESG and climate change with financial and operational performance and long-term value. Sarah helps her clients establish ESG and climate change strategies that align with strategic priorities, enabling effective integration with existing risk and strategy processes.
Prior to joining ESG Global Advisors, Sarah was a Principal at CPA Canada where she produced research, thought leadership and guidance for companies to integrate climate change considerations into business strategy, risk management, governance, and reporting. Previously, Sarah held senior roles at PwC and MNP working with the energy and mining sectors.
Sarah facilitates a module on ESG and sustainable finance in the ICD’s Director Education Program and she is the National Academic Director for the ICD’s Board Oversight of Climate Change program. Sarah serves on the Boards of Directors of Leading Change Canada and Sustainable Buildings Canada. She has a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University, ISO 14064-3 Certification for Greenhouse Gas Verifications, and received the 2018 Emerging Leader Award from CPA Ontario. In 2023, Sarah received a Top 50 Changemaker Award from the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business.
