LIFESTYLE | opinion Womanthismonth.com November 2023 83 In addition to these general best practices, there are a few specific things that boards can do to make their own meetings more sustainable, such as: • Hold meetings electronically and make it the first preferred option whenever possible. This will reduce carbon emissions (commuting and travelling) and paper waste. It will also reduce the cost needed for holding board meetings (e.g. tickets, accommodation, food and beverages, etc.). Further, it will save all board members time, instead of consuming time to commute/travel, they can be present for the duration of the meeting only. • Calculate the carbon emissions caused by board meetings, and then offset the carbon footprint of it. This can be done by planting trees or investing in renewable energy projects. • Embrace digital means; especially the technologies that enable boards to improve their performance and governance; this may include smart TVs, smartphones, web conferencing, tablets, secure messaging tools and boardroom secured portals. Below are some examples: o Board assessment tools enable a board to efficiently evaluate its own performance and that of its committees. o Board portals: centralised and highly secure digital platforms that provide secure storage for sharing of board meeting documents such as corporate plans and budgets. o Online collaboration tools: such as online whiteboards that can be used to conduct virtual brainstorming sessions. o Digital voting tools that can be used to vote on major decisions. o Meeting facilitation tools (AI enabled) that can take notes, document minutes of meetings, and actions agreed. Having said the above, the board’s role is not limited to what’s stated above, as boards can play a leading role in making their organisations more sustainable. Not only by breaching about it, but by truly practicing its principles and ensuring that it’s reflected in the following – at minimum: • Board Diversity: The diversity of directors’ skills and experience, the diversity of directors’ backgrounds, the number of female directors and the average age and experience of directors. • Board Independence: The percentage of independent directors on the board, the number of committees chaired by independent directors and the independence of the board’s committees. • Board Oversight: The frequency of board meetings, the number of hours spent by directors on board activities and the board’s review of key ESG risks and opportunities. • Incentivised Pay: Are executives formally incentivised to perform on sustainability? From the above, we can conclude that boards of directors have a critical role to play; they can be the driving force to enable and implement sustainability inside their organisations. Nevertheless, they must ensure that their organisations contribute and support a longterm sustainable value creation. Bahrainthismonth.com/gallery bystander Bahrain Jazz Fest Launch The press meet for the 7th BNP Paribas Bahrain Jazz Fest 2023 was hosted at The Majlis, The Royal Golf Club, Riffa supported by the Bahrain Tourism & Exhibitions Authority.
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