The CAQ’s review of S&P 500 publicly available* ESG disclosures as of 2021 fiscal year-end revealed these key takeaways:
ESG disclosure nearly universal—Nearly all companies disclosed some level of ESG information.
ESG frameworks and standards—Most companies referenced at least one ESG reporting framework or standard, and a majority of companies referenced three, with the most commonly referenced frameworks being SASB, the TCFD, and the GRI:
Some companies fully adopted their referenced frameworks or standards, some adopted in part, and others used the frameworks or standards as a reference to inform their own disclosure approach.
Assurance—Nearly two-thirds of companies disclosed some form of assurance or verification over certain of their ESG metrics, most commonly from providers other than public company auditors (82%); relating to GHG emissions; and at a limited assurance level.
Most of the data is compared to 2020 data for purposes of understanding reporting and assurance trends.
* ESG reports, company websites, completed CDP Questionnaires, and third-party assurance or verification reports
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This post first appeared in the weekly Society Alert!