Illuminating the Arts-Policy Nexus 
Illuminating the Arts-Policy Nexus is a fortnightly series of articles on the role of art in public policymaking. This series invites WPI fellows and project leaders as well as external practitioners to contribute pieces on how artists have led policy change and how policymakers can use creative strategies.
In Every Nation for Itself: Winners and Losers in a G-Zero World, World Policy Institute Senior Fellow Ian Bremmer illustrates a historic shift in the international system and the world economy—and an unprecedented moment of global uncertainty.
Factoring in Water Risk: Disclosure and Sustainability in the Business Value Case
World Policy Institute invites you to:
Factoring in Water Risk:
Disclosure and Sustainability
in the Business Value Case
A Roundtable Discussion with:
Brooke Barton
Director, Water Program
Ceres
Mary Buzby
Director, Environmental Technology
Merck & Co.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
at the offices of Ernst & Young LLP
5 Times Square, 22nd Floor
New York, NY 10036
Companies, financial analysts, investors, and regulators have increasingly recognized the importance of disclosing business risks related to wateravailability. Nevertheless, corporate water disclosure remains inadequate and inconsistent, particularly on usage, performance targets, financial exposure, and supply chain risks. This poses a challenge for policy and investment decisions. It also impacts companies investing in water sustainability, which need better data to convince shareholders of the value of capital expenditures. What can be done to encourage wider integration of water risk into corporate information systems and financial reporting? How accurate is current reporting, and can better standards of assurance and verification be developed? This Roundtable explores management responses to water risk and options for the policy and business communities to provide incentives –or address disincentives- to better water risk disclosure.
The Chatham House Rule applies to this discussion.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Brooke Barton
Director, Water Program
Ceres
Brooke Barton leads Ceres’ water program, directing the organization’s research and corporate and investor engagement on the risks and opportunities related to growing water scarcity. She is the co-author of The Ceres Aqua Gauge: A Framework for 21st Century Water Risk Management and author of the 2010 Ceres study with Bloomberg and UBS looking at corporate water disclosure, MurkyWaters: Corporate Reporting on Water Risk. Brooke also works with Ceres company members in the food and beverage sector, advising them on sustainability strategy and reporting, and coordinating dialogues between companies and their investor, NGO, and labor union stakeholders. Brooke holds a master's degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and a B.A. in economics from Duke University.
Mary Buzby
Director, Environmental Technology
Merck & Co.
Mary Buzby is the Global Water Lead for Merck & Co., Inc. where she has worked for the past 25 years. Merck is a global research driven pharmaceutical company that develops and delivers innovative health care solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biological therapies, animal health and consumer care products. Mary has overarching responsibility for development and realization of programs to assure that Merck's use of water around the world is compliant and sustainable, including leading development and implementation of Merck's global water strategy. Mary is currently leading efforts at Merck regardingwater related data collection and reporting and execution of a major capital portfolio to upgrade global facilities for sustainable water use. Mary represents Merck in forums with governments and other stakeholders regarding water related issues. Dr. Buzby was educated at Rutgers University. There she earned a BS in Chemistry at Douglass College and MS and Ph.D. degrees in Environmental Science at the Graduate School.
With special thanks to Ernst & Young's Cleantech Center for hosting this Roundtable.
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