The ESG Boardroom
22nd - 23rd April 2026
Dusit Thani Hotel, Dubai - U.A.E.
Meet Our Trainer
Charlene Nawar
Charlene Nawar is a Sustainability and ESG Specialist with over 15 years of experience across the GCC, combining a strong foundation in corporate law with deep expertise in ESG strategy, governance, and reporting. She supports boards and senior leaders in translating global sustainability standards into effective governance, risk oversight, and decision making, with specialization in GRI reporting, materiality assessment, stakeholder engagement, and climate literacy. A GRI Certified Training Partner, B Leader, and Cambridge CISL alumna, Charlene brings a practical, policy informed approach to ESG capacity building. Her work equips leadership teams to strengthen ESG disclosure quality, regulatory alignment, and impact driven transformation.
Learning Outcomes Key Topic
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Understand the global ESG landscape and its implications for board level oversight.
- Explain the structure, purpose, and requirements of the GRI Standards.
- Identify and prioritize material ESG topics using a GRI aligned approach.
- Connect ESG priorities to corporate strategy, risk management, and stakeholder expectations.
- Interpret sustainability disclosures and evaluate the quality of ESG reporting.
- Understand the SDGs and how they guide responsible business action.
- Gain basic literacy in carbon accounting (Scopes 1, 2, and 3) and climate-related risks.
- Recognize the board’s role in climate oversight and decarbonization pathways.
- Strengthen decision making through ESG integration and ethical governance.
- Engage in informed discussions using real case studies and hands on exercises.
Reason To Attend This Training
- Strengthen Governance & Reduce Risk Gain clarity on board level ESG responsibilities, regulatory expectations, and global best practices.
- Enhance Strategic Decision Making Learn how ESG affects financial performance, long term value creation, and competitive positioning.
- Improve Reporting Quality & Credibility Apply the GRI Standards to ensure transparent, standardized, and stakeholder aligned disclosures.
- Build Climate Literacy Understand climate science, carbon emissions, and transition risks through practical experience.
- Align with Global Expectations Position your organization to meet expectations from investors, regulators, rating agencies, and international frameworks such as GRI, ISSB, SDGs, and COP commitments.
- Learn from Real Examples Explore board level ESG case studies from multinational companies, regional leaders, and sustainability innovators.
- Drive Impact, Not Compliance Shift from reporting focused ESG to purpose led leadership and measurable outcomes.
Course Details
Session 1: Introduction to ESG for Boards
- - The evolution of ESG: key drivers, trends, and global momentum
- - Why ESG matters for boards: fiduciary duties & governance expectations
- - Regulatory landscape: GRI, ISSB, CSRD, stock exchange mandates
- - ESG & enterprise value creation
- - Stakeholder capitalism and purpose driven governance
Session 2: GRI Standards Fundamentals
- - What the GRI Standards are and what they are designed to achieve
- - Universal, sector, and topic specific Standards
- - Reporting principles and key definitions
- - Understanding “in accordance with” and GRI referenced reporting
Session 3: Materiality Assessment
- - Determining impacts, risks, and opportunities
- - Identifying material topics using the GRI process
- - Collecting stakeholder input and linking to board oversight
- - Reading and interpreting a materiality matrix
- - How boards use materiality outcomes to guide strategy
Session 4: Reporting on Material Topics & the GRI Content Index
- - Structuring high quality ESG disclosures
- - GRI Content Index and quality expectations
- - Ensuring completeness, accuracy, and reliability
Session 5: UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- - How SDGs can strengthen strategy and stakeholder credibility
- - Prioritizing SDGs based on materiality
- SDG indicators & measuring contribution
- - Examples of high impact SDG alignment
Workshop & Group Activity:
- - Hands on practice through local case studies
Session 1: Climate Change & Transition Risks for Boards
- - Climate science essentials
- - Physical vs. transition risks (TCFD/ISSB lens)
- - Corporate exposure to climate risk (sector specific examples)
- - GCC Net Zero commitments and regulatory expectations
Session 2: Carbon Footprint Fundamentals
- - What is a carbon footprint?
- - Scopes 1, 2, and 3 explained
- - Emission hotspots across industries
- - Introduction to net zero and decarbonization pathways
- - What boards should ask when reviewing carbon data
Session 3: ESG Governance, Policies & Accountability
- - Creating effective ESG governance frameworks
- - Board committees, ESG charters, and internal accountability structures
- - Linking executive compensation to ESG
- - Oversight of human rights, supply chain, and ethics
- - Board level red flags in ESG governance
Session 4: ESG Reporting, Assurance & Avoiding Greenwashing
- - How boards evaluate sustainability reports
- - Key KPIs boards should monitor (environmental, social, governance)
- - Internal controls for ESG data
- - When and why independent assurance is required
- - Identifying weak disclosures or misleading claims
Session 5: The ESG Ready Board Leadership, Culture & Future Trends
- - Leadership mindsets needed for sustainability transformation
- - Innovation, circularity, and long term systems thinking
- - Anticipatory governance and futures scenarios
- - Global megatrends shaping ESG for the next decade
Workshop & Case Study:
- - Hands on climate literacy activity to understand
Course Fees
Get in Touch_____________________________
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- Branch Office: Office # 209, 2nd floor, Noor Trade Center, Gulshan Iqbal Block 13 - A, Karachi, Pakistan
- +92-301-2938376
- training@corsol.net