GE Chief Sustainability Officer Roger Martella delivers Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Lecture on Environmental Law

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On Tuesday, February 8, 2022, with over 300 people registered, Roger Martella virtually delivered the 22nd annual Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Lecture on Environmental Law. Mr. Martella is the Chief Sustainability Officer for GE, an American multinational conglomerate among the largest industrial companies in the U.S. The topic of his lecture was “This Decade of Action: How Corporate Social Responsibility Will Define the 2020s as the Most Historic Period of Environmental Progress.”

Prior to the commencement of the lecture, Jason Czarnezki, Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law and Associate Dean of Environmental Law Programs and Strategic Initiatives and Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, Horace E. Anderson Jr., spoke of the importance of the Kerlin lecture. Dean Anderson noted, “Haub Law established the Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Lecture on Environmental Law to expand its programs of research, education, professional and scholarly activity and publications in environmental law, a field for which the law school has received national and international recognition.” Professor Katrina Kuh introduced Roger Martella, highlighting his impressive career and commitment to sustainability in the law.

Throughout the lecture, Mr. Martella shared the notion of corporate social responsibility and all it encompasses, noting that it does not just mean companies, but includes partnerships with stakeholders, including employees, investors, customers, communities, NGOs, and governments. He spoke of the importance of understanding that these other stakeholders are key partners to corporate social responsibility and environmental progress. “It all comes back to equity. Everyone needs to have the ability to prosper. We need to listen to our stakeholders to be able to address their concerns.”

In his lecture, Mr. Martella spoke of the increasing transparency that companies strive to have and also the role that lawyers can play in corporate social responsibility. “Lawyers are part of the solution. Sustainability touches everything we do and we need good lawyers for their help and guidance for all companies.”

After the lecture, audience members had an opportunity to comment and ask questions. The impactful and provocative discussion continued, touching on topics such as the communication between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals and working with governments. In this context, Mr. Martella noted that we must continue to “act with urgency, but speak with credibility.”

Of the lecture, Professor Kuh said, “We are honored to have had Roger Martella give this year’s Kerlin Lecture and on such an important topic. Roger presented an analytical framework and provided context for understanding the development and contributions of CSR. He predicts that we are entering a Global Sustainability Era during which corporate social responsibility will be a key driver of environmental action grounded in equity. With the recent launch of our Sustainable Business Law Hub, Haub Law is training the lawyers of the future who will ensure that CSR continues to help move us towards a better global environmental future. We thank Mr. Martella for providing us with a deeper understanding of CSR and how it relates to environmental progress.”

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law established the Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Lecture on Environmental Law to expand its programs of research, education, professional and scholarly activity and publications in environmental law, a field for which the law school has received national and international recognition. The Kerlin endowment funds a named professorship on Environmental Law at Haub Law. Professor Nicholas A. Robinson, founder of the Haub School's environmental programs, was named the first Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor in 1999 and Professor Jason J. Czarnezki was designated as the second Kerlin Distinguished Professor in 2013. The last Kerlin lecture was given by Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Watch the 2022 Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Lecture on Environmental Law below.