Strategic Focus: Unpacking The S In ESG Regulations

Report

Corporate Sustainability Leaders

Kim Knickle

Priyanka Bawa

30 Aug, 2023

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Executive Summary

ESG is increasingly embedded into everything an organization does – yet there remains confusion about the role that the ‘S’ plays, both within organizations and in regulatory frameworks. Against this backdrop, this report provides an overview of regulations relevant for social disclosures, to enable firms to navigate the regulatory landscape efficiently and make meaningful disclosures. The C-Suite and sustainability executives should use this report to underpin and develop effective social strategy, as they work within the evolving regulatory environment.

Table of contents

The ‘S’ in ESG requires the immediate attention of firms
S is overshadowed by E and G, for multiple reasons
Recurring themes for social disclosures are board diversity, modern slavery and pay parity
Analysis of the social disclosure landscape delivers profound learnings
Changes in social disclosures are on the horizon

Table of figures

Figure 1. Components of human capital
Figure 2. Components of social capital
Figure 3. Social regulatory landscape for firms
Figure 4. Regulations for social disclosures in the UK
Figure 5. Regulations for social disclosures in the EU
Figure 6. Regulations for social disclosures in the US
Figure 7. Five trends corporates need to prepare for
Figure 8. Canada's Modern Slavery Bill
Figure 9. Voluntary frameworks and guidelines for social disclosures

Organisations mentioned

Apple, Arabesque, Bloomberg, California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE), Dynasty Gold, EU Council, European Commission, Fortune, G20, Google, International Labour Organization (ILO), International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), Lloyd’s of London, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI), NASDAQ, Nike Canada, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Refinitiv, Schroders, ShareAction, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), Taskforce on Inequality-related Financial Disclosures (TIFD), Taskforce on Social-related Financial Disclosures (TSFD), Thomson Reuters, Uber, UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), UN, UN Global Compact, University of Oxford, Unseen, US House of Representatives, US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), US Senate, US Supreme Court

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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Priyanka Bawa

Senior Analyst

Priyanka is a Senior Analyst at Verdantix, where she leads research to enable sustainability leaders and services firms to analyse shifting market dynamics and evaluate innova...

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