Media Advisory: UArizona Center for the Philosophy of Freedom hosting environmental, social and corporate governance debate, moderated by former White House press secretaries

March 28, 2024

Media Advisory: UArizona Center for the Philosophy of Freedom hosting environmental, social and corporate governance debate, moderated by former White House press secretaries

What: The University of Arizona Center for the Philosophy of Freedom hosts the Freedom Center Debate Series event "ESG Now and in the Future: Is There Common Ground?"
When: Wednesday, April 3, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Where: Heard Museum, 2301 N. Central Ave., Phoenix
Media RSVP: Members of the media are welcome to attend, but there will be no media availability with panelists at the event. To attend the event, or to schedule interviews ahead of time, RSVP to Mitch Zak, mitchzak@arizona.edu

PHOENIX, Ariz. — The University of Arizona Center for the Philosophy of Freedom, in collaboration with the National Review Institute, will host the Freedom Center Debate Series event "ESG Now and in the Future: Is There Common Ground?" at the Heard Museum in Phoenix on April 3.

At the event, national experts from various fields, such as the corporate, investment, regulatory and government sectors, will discuss the multifaceted nature of environmental, social and governance practices – commonly referred to as ESG. They will present arguments in favor of and in opposition to those practices, and explore the possibility of finding common ground.

The debate will be moderated by former White House press secretaries Ari Fleischer and Robert Gibbs. Participants include Andrew Behar, CEO of the shareholder advocacy and engagement nonprofit As You Sow; Kevin Hassett, chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisers; Sandra Taylor, former senior vice president of corporate responsibility at Starbucks and CEO of Sustainable Business International; and Kimberly Yee, state treasurer of Arizona.

University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins will attend and provide opening remarks highlighting the university's commitment to viewpoint diversity and constructive debate.

ESG initiatives encompass a wide array of concerns, ranging from climate change to gender and racial equality, workplace diversity, and other critical social and political matters. These initiatives aim to shape how companies account for and disclose their environmental impact, address social challenges, and make decisions that have immediate and long-term consequences.

The debate was conceived by Saura Masconale, associate director of the Freedom Center and an assistant professor of political economy and moral science, and organized with Mary L. Rigdon, associate director of the Freedom Center and an associate professor of political economy and moral science. The event is co-sponsored by the National Review Institute.

Members of the media are invited to interview Masconale, debate moderators and participants before April 3.

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Media contact:
Mitch Zak
Center for the Philosophy of Freedom
916-612-0979
mitchzak@arizona.edu

The University of Arizona, a land-grant institution with two independently accredited medical schools, ranks among the nation's top universities, according to U.S. News & World Report. Established in 1885, the university is widely recognized as student-centric and has been designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. As a leading Research 1 institution, the University of Arizona ranks in the top 20 among all public universities with $955 million in annual research expenditures according to the National Science Foundation. The university advances the frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships as a member of the Association of American Universities, the 71 leading public and private research universities in the U.S. and Canada. It benefits the state of Arizona with an estimated economic impact of $4.1 billion annually.