transparently communicate that progress to their value chain and other stakeholders. To standardize how companies report on their climate actions, regulatory bodies such as the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Canadian Securities Association (CSA) have proposed regulations that could require publicly traded companies to report GHG emissions from their operations, energy use, and value chains. These proposed regulations signal a rising demand for the private sector to measure, report, and reduce their GHG emissions as demonstrated progress in climate change mitigation becomes a tangible component of sustainable business and investment decisions. Shareholder, stakeholder, and value chain demands and interests — Shareholders of agriculture and food companies are increasingly interested in ensuring their investments are sustainable. This interest is driven, in part, by commitments that many financial institutions, including banks and pension funds, have made to improve the environmental and social impacts of their investments and lending portfolios. According to a 2022 report by Price Waterhouse Cooper, sustainable investments will represent 21.5 per cent of total managed assets globally in 2026, up from 14.4 per cent in 2021. Agriculture and food companies are responsible to various stakeholders, including agricultural communities, investors, consumers, and employees. For example, when asked about key drivers of sustainability reporting among companies, Katherine Balpataky, senior director of corporate partnerships at ALUS, noted that she is starting to see "companies take landscape impacts seriously. Companies are looking at pressures on food stability; things like climate change, extreme weather events, soil health, and water and ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 15 AUGUST 2023 Sustainable investments will represent 21.5 per cent of total managed assets globally in 2026, up from 14.4 per cent in 2021. libro.ca/ag | 1-800-361-8222 Libro Credit Union is proud to support farmers and agri-businesses in southwestern Ontario. Our roots are firmly planted here. Libro is a full-service financial institution, with an expert agricultural team to meet all your banking, borrowing and investing needs. Talk to Libro Coach today. Supporting agriculture for 80 years Operating Accounts • Term Loans • Mortgages • Operating Lines • AgriInvest • Investments • TFSA • Wealth Management continued on page 16 how this relates to farmer livelihoods; and they're acknowledging they have a role to play in helping farmers adapt to these changes. Managing risks relates to sustainability reporting because investors want to see companies have plans to build resilience in the system". WHAT DO SUSTAINABLE VALUE CHAIN PROGRAMS LOOK LIKE? Currently, many companies and value chains are responding to the multiple drivers by developing programs to achieve positive sustainability outcomes at the farm level. When asked about the current design of sustainability programs, Rebecca Johnson, sustainability specialist at Viresco Solutions, described how companies often approach program development with a few key objectives, including reducing GHG emissions, improving
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