Strategic Focus: Transitioning To Investor-Grade ESG Data And Decision-Making
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Executive Summary
Corporates can count on 2022 and 2023 to bring higher expectations from customers, investors and regulators for more accurate, auditable and timely ESG and sustainability disclosures. To respond to demands from internal and external stakeholders, firms will need to invest in approaches that improve the processes of gathering ESG and sustainability data and sharing the data externally at scale and with accelerated timeframes. This report identifies the design principles and approaches firms can incorporate into their requests for proposals (RFPs) to support the necessary transition from traditional sustainability data to investor-grade ESG data. The result should yield a level of data quality to support not only reporting and disclosures, but also benchmarking and ESG-related decision-making. Verdantix defines the digital strategy necessary for enabling investor-grade ESG data as an ‘ESG information architecture’.Firms Are Facing A Major ESG Data Challenge
ESG Data Requirements Are Only Growing More Complex
ESG Information Architecture Provides A Roadmap For Achieving ESG Investor-Grade Data
ESG Information Architecture Design Principles Focus On Reporting And Decision-Making
ESG Information Architecture Building Blocks Enable Flexibility For The Future
Firms Have Multiple Options For Achieving An ESG Information Architecture
Figure 2. Defining Investor-Grade Data
Figure 3. Stakeholder Decisions And Timeframes
Figure 4. ESG Information Architecture Components: Best Practices
About the Authors
Kim Knickle
Research Director
Kim Knickle is a Research Director at Verdantix, bringing more than two decades of analyst experience to the evolving world of sustainability. Her current research spans ESG a...
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Sam Renshaw
Industry Analyst
Sam is an Industry Analyst in the ESG & Sustainability practice. His current research agenda focuses on ESG solutions across financial markets including ESG information provid...
Rodolphe d’Arjuzon
Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder
Rodolphe co-founded Verdantix in 2008. As Chief Product Officer, he leads the firm’s research strategy and intellectual agenda. With over 20 years of experience in techn...
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Connor Taylor
Principal Analyst
Connor is a Principal Analyst at Verdantix. He focuses on delivering research to help senior executives navigate decarbonization decision-making and build effective strategies...
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