With sustainability, ethics, and responsible business conduct being key factors for both consumers and investors, organizations today face the challenge of ESG reporting.
ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) represents a holistic approach to measuring an organization's impact on the world around it. It is more than just meeting regulatory requirements or appearing socially responsible. It is a strategic process that can drive innovation, strengthen reputation, and create long-term value for the organization and relevant stakeholders.
By delving into the three core pillars - environment, social responsibility, and governance - your organization can contribute positively to society while positioning itself for sustainable business operations, turning challenges into a competitive advantage.
What Is ESG Reporting?
An ESG report is a comprehensive, structured and transparent presentation of an organization's environmental, social and governance performance, allowing you to compare and assess sustainability efforts across different companies and sectors. The report also serves as an insight into the organization's values, culture and sustainability strategy, allowing stakeholders to understand how the organization manages its ESG risks and opportunities and how it contributes to sustainable goals and societal value.
In the past, ESG reporting has been difficult, as there was no standardized framework for how reports should be prepared, in the same way as there is today. Different tools and approaches left room for vague claims and made it difficult to assess and compare the actual sustainability efforts of organizations.
The new EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) aims to do away with the unstructured approach of the past and instead set clear requirements for the content of the ESG report. Initially, CSRD will cover approximately 49,000 companies across the EU.
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What Are ESG Metrics?
ESG metrics are the concrete measurements used to assess and report an organization's performance in the three main areas. They provide a quantitative picture of the organization's sustainability performance.
Although what metrics are relevant vary from organization to organization, it is crucial to ensure consistency in reporting. It is beneficial to have the figures follow international standards in definitions and calculation methods and to follow good reporting practices so that the ESG key figures are as reliable as traditional financial data.
This includes, among other things:
- Demarcation – adhere to the financial delimitation
- Consolidation – adhere to the financial rules for aggregation of data
- Period – report the same period as the financial statements
- Accounting practices – describe the methods used to measure ESG data
- Performance – explain the development of the figures over a period of 3-5 year
ESG metrics are important for two reasons: Firstly, investors and stakeholders can gain insight into the organization's work with sustainability and social responsibility, and secondly, it is an opportunity to set targets and tracking mechanisms for future improvement.
Knowing what metrics are relevant for your organization can be difficult. Below are some examples of metrics that may be applicable:
- (E)nvironment: CO2e (Carbon dioxide equivalent) emissions, energy consumption, renewable energy consumption, water consumption, hazardous waste management and recyclable waste management.
- (S)ocial: Sickness absence, workplace accidents, employee turnover, employee satisfaction and gender diversity in the organization and management respectively.
- (G)overnance: Pay gap between CEO and employees and gender pay gap
If the organization is subject to CSRD, it should follow the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) to ensure the necessary data collection and ensure CSRD compliance.
Who Should Do ESG Reporting?
ESG reporting is no longer reserved for large multinational companies. Organizations of all sizes and types should now consider ESG reporting as an essential practice of responsible business conduct. This includes businesses, non-profit organizations and government institutions.
Whether ESG reporting is voluntary or mandatory depends on the specific situation of each organization. For some European organizations, it is legally required by CSRD. However, even if your organization is not covered by the directive, you may still be indirectly affected and required to prepare some form of ESG report.
Organizations that are covered by CSRD are required to report on a number of aspects of its value chain – including their business relationship and suppliers. This creates a cascading effect that may affect our organization indirectly.
Why Is ESG Reporting Important?
ESG reporting promotes trust and transparency by giving investors, customers and employees a clear picture of the organization's sustainability performance. Reporting also reduces the risk of greenwashing and enhances the organization's reputation.
It is, therefore, not only obligated organizations that can benefit from ESG reporting. By integrating ESG goals into the business strategy, organizations can identify new opportunities, minimize risks, and create long-term value, leading to innovation and a stronger market position regardless of the organization's size. At the same time, investors are increasingly emphasizing ESG factors when evaluating investment opportunities. In a world where sustainability is becoming increasingly central, ESG reporting can provide a competitive advantage.
Overall, ESG reporting is not just a tool to measure and report sustainability efforts; it is a strategic approach that connects an organization's core business with its social, environmental, and governance responsibilities.
READ ALSO: 3 good reasons to work with ESG
Step by Step: How to Get Started With ESG Reporting
Getting started with ESG reporting may seem like a complicated process, but it can be made manageable with a structured approach. It is about understanding your organization's current position, setting clear goals, implementing strategies, and monitoring progress.
Step by step, the process looks like this:
1) Assess the current status of your organization
Start by analyzing the organization's current ESG practices. Where does the organization stand in relation to the environment, social responsibility, and governance - what elements are already being worked on, what is in place, and what can be improved?
2) Set goals and strategies
A clear ESG strategy is essential for success, and this step involves defining the organization's ESG goals and creating a plan for how to achieve them. It is important to note that no organization can do everything in all areas, so identifying areas where it can make the biggest impact is beneficial.
Especially in connection with CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), the affected companies need to define their level of ambition. Knowing the goal is relevant to ensure that the allocated resources align with the company's goals.
3) Implementation
When integrating ESG principles into daily operations, new policies, procedures, and practices need to be developed to ensure that affected employees know what to do and how to do it. External advice may be required to ensure that ESG goals are integrated into all aspects of the organization.
4) Measurement and monitoring
ESG tools and methods to track progress are crucial to the success of ESG reporting. Therefore, choosing the right tools to measure and monitor the organization's performance against the established ESG goals is essential.
ESG reporting is not an isolated task but an integral part of the organization's overall strategy and operations. It, therefore, requires a clear plan and the right tools, strong management commitment, and allocation of the necessary resources, including investment in skilled employees and technological solutions to support data collection and analysis. Without this commitment and support from the top, ESG reporting can become superficial and inadequate.
Sustainability Is Only Getting More Important
With increasing global awareness of climate change, social inequalities, and ethical leadership, the demands for transparent and responsible reporting will only grow in the future. Technological advances will make gathering and analyzing data easier, while new regulatory initiatives such as CSRD will shape reporting standards. At the same time, investors and consumers will continue to place importance on ESG factors in the future - probably more so than now - which could lead to increased integration of ESG criteria into investment decisions and consumer behavior.
The constant and ever-growing focus on sustainability means ESG strategies must be agile and easily adaptable to new opportunities and challenges. This includes continuous monitoring of ESG performance, regular updating of goals and strategies, and a willingness to learn and improve. Continuous improvement ensures that the organization's ESG reporting remains relevant and effective and that the organization can respond proactively to changes in the market and society.
READ ALSO: Get ready to meet the requirements of CSRD
