In This Issue
Editor's Note
What Investors Think of ESG Disclosure in China
At a recent focus group BSR led with the Shanghai Stock Exchange, six investors shared a perspective that might surprise some Chinese companies: They are using ESG data.
This week, BSR’s Lindsey Lim, who is based in our Beijing office, reports other insights from investors in Chinese companies, including the opportunity for listed companies, investors, and the stock exchange to strengthen the quality and delivery of ESG reporting by working together. (For more on general CSR reporting trends in China, see our article from earlier this year.)
Related to the subject of CSR reporting, a new survey from Ernst & Young reveals that many companies find it challenging to retrieve the right CSR data, assess the data’s credibility, and determine which data could contribute to reporting overall.
And in honor of World Water Day this week, we share highlights from our recent Sustainability Matters webinar on a new tool that helps companies evaluate water risk.
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In Depth
Investor Insights: Improving ESG Disclosure by Chinese Companies
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Contrary to what many Chinese companies believe, there are investors who value ESG disclosure. At a recent focus group held by BSR and the Shanghai Stock Exchange, investors shared their views on how they use ESG data, how to improve report delivery and integrity, and how to improve the system through collaboration between the stock exchange, investors, and listed companies.
Read more →
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Toolbox
Report: Companies Compiling Sustainability Data Inefficiently
While the number of annual corporate sustainability reports continues to grow—a record 48 percent of S&P 500 companies compiled CSR reports last year—many of these reports are undermined by the tools companies are using to produce them, according to a recent study by Ernst & Young that was published in conjunction with GreenBiz. The study surveyed executives and thought leaders who work in corporate environmental strategy and performance.
The “Six Growing Trends in Corporate Sustainability” study indicated that respondents find it challenging to retrieve the right CSR data, assess the data’s credibility, and determine which data could contribute to reporting overall. Respondents cited spreadsheets, centralized databases, emails, and phone calls as the principal tools for CSR reporting.
The study also found that 24 percent of the 272 respondents said they are using packaged software to report CSR data.
It also noted that climate change has become a strategic concern at many companies, resource availability is becoming a de facto reporting requirement, and rankings and ratings are growing in importance.
On the Record
New Water Risk Tool Helps Companies Get Local, Strategic
During last week’s Sustainability Matters webinar, BSR Manager Ryan Flaherty and Betsy Otto, director of the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Aqueduct Program, discussed how companies can develop corporate water strategies using WRI’s new water-management tool.
Responding to a question on the ease of use of the Water Risk Atlas, Flaherty described how the water risk maps generated by the tool—which provide current and future water-scarcity and water-quality assessments—can be used as a starting point for a company’s water-stewardship strategy:
“That’s where this tool becomes really interesting. You can get more local, and you can start looking at the different types of water risk. And this helps you think about both the relevance to the products you’re producing and your company's tolerance for risk. This can help you build a more strategic response.”
—Ryan Flaherty, Manager, Advisory Services, BSR (March 14, 2012)
Download the event recording, or contact Ryan Flaherty for more information.
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