OVERVIEW
Hosted in the energy capital of the world, The Risk, Resilience & Sustainability Sustainability Symposium Houston convenes senior leaders from corporate legal departments and sustainability and ESG functions in U.S. energy companies to examine the most pressing environmental, social, and governance challenges facing the sector today.
Energy companies are navigating heightened regulatory and litigation scrutiny, growing investor demands, and a politically fragmented ESG landscape, while still taking accountability for energy security, affordability, reliability, and resilience. This symposium will explore how organizations are redefining sustainability to reflect those competing priorities.
This exclusive half-day program will feature candid, peer-level discussions on embedding ESG-derived risk management tools into compliance, internal controls, and board oversight. Participants will also examine how sustainability metrics are expanding to include resilience, cybersecurity, and operational continuity, and how U.S.-based energy companies can align with global investor expectations while operating under distinct domestic rules.
We will explore how to build a robust, forward-looking sustainability framework that not only mitigates risk but also supports long-term value creation and strengthens competitive positioning in an increasingly complex energy ecosystem.
PURPOSE OF THE FORUM
- Examine the critical forces reshaping sustainability and risk in the U.S. energy sector, and how regulatory pressure, investor expectations, and geopolitical dynamics are redefining ESG, governance, and enterprise resilience
- Explore how sustainability operating models are evolving within energy companies, and how legal and ESG leaders can adopt forward-looking, risk-based approaches that support energy security, reliability, and affordability
- Share best practices from energy companies and their advisors on embedding ESG-derived risk management tools, data, and technology into compliance, governance, and operational decision-making
- Cultivate a peer-level community of legal, sustainability, and governance leaders committed to exchanging insights, navigating complexity, and driving durable, business-aligned sustainability strategies across the energy ecosystem
STRUCTURE
- 80+ sustainability-focused leaders from U.S. energy companies
- Panels, fireside chats + presentations focused on key topics for energy company leaders navigating sustainability. We’ll explore what it means to build a resilient, forward-looking sustainability framework—one that mitigates risk, supports energy reliability and affordability, and positions organizations for long-term success.
Who’s attending
- Energy company leaders including:
- Chief Sustainability Officer
- VP of Sustainability / Director of Sustainability
- General Counsel / Associate General Counsel
- Sustainability Manager / ESG Manager
- Corporate Social Responsibility Manager
- Risk Management Officer
- Chief People Officer
- Director, Sustainability Reporting
- ESG, Sustainability & Resilience Advisor
THEMES + AGENDA
How risk management is redefining sustainability in the U.S. energy sector
- A shift in purpose: The evolution of sustainability from a values-based framework to a core enterprise risk discipline
- Navigating competing pressures: Balancing the legal and governance implications of anti-ESG sentiment vs. global investor expectations
- Operationalizing risk: Embedding ESG-derived risk tools into compliance, internal controls, and board oversight
- Disclosure under scrutiny: Managing litigation, regulatory, and reputational risk as sustainability disclosures are more closely examined
Reframing sustainability metrics: Resilience, reliability, and national priorities
- From emissions to endurance: Linking sustainability to both climate impact and operational continuity
- Energy security as a sustainability outcome: Aligning energy transition goals with energy security, affordability, and supply chain resilience
- Measurements for sustainability: Using ESG-derived metrics to track resilience, reliability, and continuity across energy systems
- Governance under pressure: Legal, regulatory, and board-level implications of reshaping your sustainability strategy
Cyber risk and sustainability: A converging governance challenge
- A board-level imperative: Why cybersecurity is a sustainability and governance issue for energy companies
- Rising oversight expectations: Regulatory expectations for cyber risk oversight at the board and management level
- Connecting the frameworks: Integrating cyber risk into sustainability reporting, enterprise risk management, and disclosures
- After a breach: Incident response, liability exposure, and cross-border implications for global energy companies
Navigating investor demands in a politically fragmented sustainability landscape
- Investor pressure vs. political reality: Reconciling continued investor pressure with evolving U.S. regulatory and political dynamics
- Aligning disclosures with global standards: Ensuring reporting meets investor expectations while navigating inconsistent sustainability requirements across borders
- Legal strategies to mitigate greenwashing, enforcement risk, and shareholder activism
- Meeting capital expectations: What private equity, infrastructure funds, and transition investors expect from energy companies
Fireside Chat: Playing by different rules: The U.S. energy sector and the global ESG divide
- Regulatory landscape matters: The implications of political dynamics on ESG disclosure and corporate strategy
- Risks and opportunities arising from the gap between U.S. practices and international ESG standards
- Navigating global investor expectations: Meeting international ESG demands while operating under U.S. rules and regulatory frameworks
- Aligning priorities strategically: Lessons from aligning U.S. operational priorities with evolving global expectations
CLOSING REMARKS
SPONSORSHIP
Partner with The Legal Innovation Forum to engage senior legal leaders and innovators shaping the future of the industry.
For inquiries, contact jacquie@adbinsights.com
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