HumanRightsWhen home country laws permit irresponsible ESG practices, international norms like the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights can help guide companies’ in the right direction. Many multinational companies commit to high standards but do not have proper controls and people in place to achieve them. When one of the world’s largest mining companies recently destroyed ancient archaeological sites in Australia, it arguably did not break any Australian laws. Nevertheless, its Board concluded that it may have averted the disaster had the company properly adhered to the international standards that it had internally adopted. This panel will explore the risks of strictly limiting compliance to black law legal frameworks and discuss practical methods of using ESG norms and standards to promote sustainable and responsible business practices.