Climate-related issues, along with the circular economy; product and chemical management; and environment, tax and trade issues, are monitored by a cross-functional Eastman team of issue stewards. We maintain a monitoring process led by our emerging issues director and governed by an Eastman issues management council. The council includes leaders across Eastman teams and departments, including ESG, sustainability, circular economy, enterprise risk management (ERM), government affairs, public policy and emerging issues, sourcing and procurement, product stewardship and regulatory affairs, legal, tax, global environmental affairs, global trade compliance, and global health, safety, environment and security (GHSES).
Emerging issues management is embedded in our sustainability governance structure, as members of the issue management council and associated teams are embedded in sustainability sub-councils that include the carbon and climate working group. We integrate climate-related issues and other emerging issues into business decision-making through partnerships with our corporate strategy group and the leadership teams of Eastman business units.
Issue stewards identify and track emerging policy and regulatory-related risks and opportunities and prioritize these issues using a multifaceted scoring methodology. Risks and opportunities with substantive financial or strategic impact are raised to the issue management council biannually and to our business units quarterly. An update on public policy issues is also provided to the environmental, safety and sustainability committee of the Eastman board of directors and is an annual agenda item in executive team strategic reviews.
The following graphic illustrates the robust governance we have in place to manage emerging issues.
