The Dramatic Rise in ESG Reporting

According to analysis just released by the Governance & Accountability Institute, there has been a dramatic increase from 2010 to 2011 in the number of the largest U.S. companies issuing ESG, CSR or Sustainability reports. In the 2011 analysis, 53% of S&P 500 and 57% of Fortune 500 companies were reporting on their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) impacts, making non-reporters the minority. In the 2010 analysis, just 19% of S&P and 20% of Fortune 500 companies reported.

Other findings included:

• More corporate managers and boards are recognizing the benefits of measuring, managing and disclosing their ESG strategies and performance.
• The majority of S&P 500 and Fortune 500 companies that report use the Global Reporting Initiative Framework.
• Companies that report on their sustainability strategies, initiatives, programs and ESG performance appear more likely to be selected for key sustainability reputation lists; to be ranked higher by sustainability reputation raters and rankers; and to be selected for inclusion on leading sustainability investment indices.
• Companies that are measuring and managing their sustainability issues appear to perform better over the long term in the capital markets.

Learn more about ESG reporting at www.addison.com