Environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG), the framework widely used by listed companies to evaluate sustainability-related disclosures is defining the future of sustainable business and finance. The Covid19 pandemic accelerated the focus on ESG Investing, when governments were making decisions to sustain their economies and also looking forward to a sustainable future. Mounting pressures from governments, regulators, industry, investors and customers has driven ESG to the top of business agenda. This role of regulation and data is shaping tomorrows green economy. After initial focus on the environmental aspects of ESG, social and governance considerations are now gaining precedence. An alignment and compliance with emerging ESG standards is turning out to be the core differentiator for long term business success across industries, especially in the financial, energy and manufacturing markets globally. It is also helping companies mitigate risks. Although currently there seems to be a lack of harmony in the existing approaches to implementing ESG frameworks and best practices across markets and regions, we are now seeing an increased engagement by governments and regulators to align around a more unified approach to ESG Investing. If regulation is the driver of change then data is playing a key role in delivering traceability, transparency and insights to validate the ESG credentials of a company, stock or an investment strategy.
Investors increasingly believe that companies that perform well on ESG are less risky and are better positioned for the long-term, making them better prepared for any uncertainties ahead. The ways to overcome challenges of ESG Investing include:
Getting your own house in order to truly walk the talk
It’s easy for anyone to spout a set of lofty ambitions when it comes to diversity, sustainability and social justice. But demonstrating what you’re actually doing and tangibly achieve it is crucial to set the talkers apart from the doers. Adding proof to your statements is key. The more information that we put into the market, the more transparency we provide, the better the decision making will be by the end customer. Using data intelligence and analytics helps companies boost their ESG performance.
Leverage data to prove what you’ve achieved
Data can fuel transparency by backing up marketing messages, but marketers shouldn’t underestimate the importance of choosing the right data to tell the most accurate story. Robust decisions based on quality credentials.
Clearer benchmarks and standards are required to tell a more consistent story
A shared industry framework with a single common language is currently lacking. It’s difficult to position a product or offering in comparison to something else. So having a standard understanding will give us better differentiation opportunities. Being able to compare apples with apples would offer us another level of granularity and differentiation.
Evidence-based communications helps avoid “greenwashing
Without such proof points, it’s difficult to sift through all the claims businesses make and work out what’s credible and what’s not. Because there’s a lack of evidence of expertise and quality around ESG factors, trust is lacking. Moreover the industry is also not helping itself by rushing towards marketing messages which are not substantiated with evidence. Assurance engagement, where a company engages professional services firms to provide assurance services on ESG sustainability reports, adds credibility to the company’s commitment to sustainability. ESG rating firms have extensive data and analytics capabilities leveraging technology to help clients with their ESG investments. This is where anyone would see the most value in ESG ratings. Companies whose stakeholders focus on ESG are putting themselves in a good position to be winners in the future. Stakeholder capitalism is only going to be more prominent in the future. This means that non-financial performance is being considered more frequently and more seriously when investment decisions are being made. Companies wanting to raise capital need to communicate their sustainability agenda to their investors.
The DocullyVDR team is a provider of a new generation secure data sharing platform designed for businesses. The team has extensive experience in working with document sharing platforms and has been assisting the Virtual Data Room community since 2019 by providing users with free information.