Don’t miss out on the latest in

Public Affairs & ESG

ESG is just one area of our expertise. Subscribe to our quarterly Summit Views Newsletter to get the latest public affairs and ESG insights directly to your inbox.

Take a look:

SUMMER NEWSLETTER | 2023

Summit Views

The latest in public affairs and ESG news.

Introducing the Summit Views Newsletter: Insights on the Issues that Matter Most.

As the summer quickly transitions to autumn, all of us at Summit are reflecting on the past few months and the changes that have come with the season. In May, the Summit team traveled from all over the country to congregate at Costanoa on the Northern California Coast for our all-hands company retreat. Much like the weather of my homeland in Scotland, late spring in Costanoa brought cloudy skies and a spot of rain. It was the talented and dedicated team at Summit that brought the sunshine.

Summit Strategy Group has more than doubled in size since our last retreat in 2021, and with this growth, the creativity, talent, and spirit of the team is reaching new heights. Throughout our time together at Costanoa, we exchanged ideas and discussed ways to elevate the service and expertise that we offer our clients. Best of all, we were able to come together face-to-face and get to know each other outside the conference room (virtual or otherwise). The moments of connection we spent together, whether it be around a campfire or getting up early to hike, are what inspire us here at Summit, and keep us focused on the issues that matter most to us and our clients.

One of these issues—which has been dominating headlines this summer (and this entire year)—has been extreme weather, and the effects of climate change on the world around us. We know that our clients are feeling it too; in every industry, there is something to be said about how rising temperatures and natural disasters are impacting businesses and the economy. We are immersed in these issues and are dedicated to helping our clients navigate these challenges.

If you’d like to learn more about climate risks and how businesses across multiple sectors are addressing these issues, please reach out. If you’d like to hear more about the issues that mattered most to us this summer, please read on.

Thank you,

Michael Law

Founder & CEO, Summit Strategy Group

Welcome to a Presidential Campaign Year: What to do when your story gets ‘Big-Footed’

In less than four months, the Iowa Caucuses begin (!), several weeks earlier than ever before. That means that if you or your client has something important to say this fall or during the Christmas season, don’t expect it to be easy to get on a reporter’s radar. This is especially true on big debate days, days when there is court drama, or really any day when one of the candidates say anything buzzworthy. I didn’t say ‘newsworthy” because most of what candidates will be saying won’t be news; but in today’s chaotic media landscape, what passes for political news will still trump your story every time—pun intended.

In the age before social media, one ill-fated presidential hopeful announced his candidacy in Florida—his first stop on an East Coast flyover including New York and Washington DC. Press was gathered in Tallahassee ready to board the campaign plane. Literally, as they were boarding, the Space Shuttle Columbia in Cape Canaveral exploded. Everyone on the presidential announcement plane packed up, got off, and high-tailed up the coast. This was a classic example of a story getting ‘big-footed’ or what happens when one huge news story can overcome even a big story (that campaign never recovered). And as interesting as your news or client’s story may be, if you think that an overworked, over-emailed, and totally stretched reporter will notice it on the day of another indictment … you’ll be wrong.

Summit offers public affairs counsel and support to many of the country's largest private and public organizations; organizations grappling with increasingly challenging landscapes and operating environments. We focus on complex issues, and we deliver results.

We are experts in moving people from awareness to concern to engagement. We message through the media or directly to your most important stakeholders, moving key actors from complacency to acting on your behalf, allowing you to shift from playing defense to leaning into a winning strategy. Our services include media engagement; strategic issues management; political and issue advocacy; crisis preparedness and response; stakeholder engagement, and grassroots organizing.

Learn More

PUBLIC AFFAIRS NEWS & TRENDS

America Is Using Up Its Groundwater Like There’s No Tomorrow

New York Time

"The New York Times conducted a months-long examination of groundwater depletion, interviewing more than 100 experts, traveling the country and creating a comprehensive database using millions of readings from monitoring sites. The investigation reveals how America’s life-giving resource is being exhausted in much of the country, and in many cases it won’t come back."

Welcome to De Los: Everything Latinidad

Los Angeles Times

"De Los will focus on everything Latinidad in Los Angeles and across the country. We’ve assembled a team of Latino reporters, editors, illustrators and creatives to tell stories not just about our community, but for our community.

But we can’t do it alone. There is no singular Latino experience, and to truly embody our admittedly aspirational slogan of “Everything Latinidad,” we are going to need help. Yours, specifically."

Broken Record Podcast: Hosted by Justin Richmond with interviews by producer Rick Rubin, writer Malcolm Gladwell, and former New York Times editor Bruce Headlam

"For generations of music lovers, the liner notes on albums were a central part of the way music was heard. You bought an album and it came with an accompanying narrative: a digression, an aside, a backstory—maybe even an invented history. We intuitively understood that great music required not just listening but conversation between the artist and the audience and the audience and the rest of the world."

Listen Here

Turning Up the Heat: How to Future-Proof Your Business Against Rising Temperatures

Over the past few months, the Summit ESG team—spread across the country—has frequently discussed the topic of ‘heat.’ From the fire-impacted air quality in New York City, to the heat wave that choked Seattle in May, it’s been a summer of record-breaking heat. Whether you’ve read the headlines or experienced its effects firsthand, the increasing temperatures are inescapable.

As temperatures steadily rise, you may ask: How will the vital systems we depend on—infrastructure, supply chains, and essential industries—be impacted? What strategies and tools can be used to predict and prepare for the impact of heat and climate change on business operations and growth? The first step to addressing these concerns is for decision-makers to cultivate a deep understanding of both the risks and opportunities linked to a changing climate. This knowledge enables informed decision-making in a world grappling with soaring temperatures.

ESG NEWS & TRENDS

Wall Street's Most Hated 3 Letters Prove Too Risky to Ignore

Bloomberg

"As the label “ESG” ends up among the most hated on Wall Street, the financial cost of ignoring it is making headlines. In just the past few weeks, a string of textbook environmental, social and governance issues — spanning workers’ rights to extreme weather — erupted in a number of major stocks."

A Judge rules in favor of Montana youths in landmark climate decision

Washington Post

"In the first ruling of its kind nationwide, a Montana state court decided Monday in favor of young people who alleged the state violated their right to a “clean and healthful environment” by promoting the use of fossil fuels. "

3 reasons to be optimistic about climate tech in the second half of 2023

GreenBiz

"Climate tech has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the past year. While the latter half of 2022 saw a boom for climate tech following the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in August — defying the downward trend for the broader tech industry — in 2023 so far, venture capital funding for climate tech startups has slowed to its lowest pace in nearly three years. But this doesn’t mean climate tech has reached a bust, either. "

ESG Monthly News Update

The world of ESG is evolving rapidly, and in order to provide the highest quality service to our clients, we need to be aware of the changing landscape. We strive to help our clients mitigate risk and develop tailored solutions to their sustainability challenges. To be effective counsel, we must have our finger on the pulse of ESG.

Our ESG Monthly News Update provides a timely, curated summary of major headlines and ESG-related news. Every month, members of our ESG team collect and summarize the latest ESG news ranging from investment trends and government actions to new sustainability technologies.

If you’d like to receive the ESG Weekly News Update in your inbox, you can sign up here. To view past newsletters, click here.

Corporate Sustainability is More Than Just a Business Strategy

Corporate sustainability is about a triple bottom line approach to success. Today’s companies need to balance financial success with environmental impact and social progress. Summit Strategy Group offers a range of consulting services to help our clients develop relevant sustainability strategies, identify and engage stakeholders and communicate a powerful narrative.

2015 J Street, Suite 100

Sacramento, CA 9581

www.summitstrategygroup.net