REPORTING IS NOW ESSENTIAL - BUT IT IS STILL A CHALLENGE

Many businesses may not yet generate good data on their return on ESG investment, which creates problems for budgeting and the business case.

BlackRock urges standardization. “We appreciate that disclosure can be cumbersome and that the variety of reporting frameworks creates further complexity for companies,” says Larry Fink in his CEO letter. “We strongly support moving to a single global standard, which will enable investors to make more informed decisions about how to achieve durable long-term returns.

“If we were able to know that we had all the right data, and it was being all rolled up in the right way, and that every company was comparing apples to apples, then we could just focus on improvement and making things better.”

Gayle Schueller

Vice president and chief sustainability officer, 3M

ESG: Beyond the tipping point

Businesses worldwide are embracing ESG goals

COVID-19 has been a wake-up call

ESG has become more of a priority since the outbreak of the pandemic

Investors have become more demanding

Businesses expect rapid results from ESG investment

If the benefits are so clear cut, what is holding some businesses back?

Reporting is now essential – but it is still a challenge

The customer/shareholder balancing act is a problem

Conclusion