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As our loyal newsletter readers know, G&A Institute has been doing annual research on sustainability reporting trends for well over a decade. We recently released our 13th annual edition of Sustainability Report in Focus, tracking the publication of sustainability reports by the largest U.S. publicly traded companies in the S&P 500® Index and the Russell 1000® Index.  

Our research showed substantial increases in sustainability reporting for both large-cap and mid-cap U.S. public companies, as the U.S. regulatory environment moves to follow Europe on required ESG reporting. A record 93% of Russell 1000 companies published a sustainability report in 2023 - an increase from 90% in 2022. The larger half by market cap of the Russell 1000 (i.e., the S&P 500) are nearing 100% reporters with 98.6% publishing a report in 2023.

G&A’s Co-Founders spoke out on the importance of being prepared for upcoming mandatory reporting. Louis Coppola, Executive Vice President, said, “The shift to mandatory reporting offers an unprecedented opportunity to enhance investor confidence, stakeholder trust, and operational resilience. This is an era where leadership in sustainability will define success.”

Hank Boerner, G&A’s Chairman and Chief Strategist, said, “When ESG disclosures are eventually mandated, which we expect will occur soon through pending and proposed measures, we believe companies reporting today will be well ahead in meeting these requirements.”

G&A’s 2024 Sustainability Reporting in Focus report provides analysis of corporate report content including reporting frameworks and standards used – such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainable Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). SASB continued to be the most widely used sustainability standard, with 81% of Russell 1000 reporters aligning with SASB in 2023 – up from 78% in 2022.

The report also includes analysis on how many companies align with initiatives such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), trends in external assurance, and CDP reporting. For the first time, G&A’s 2024 research includes sector-specific analysis of reporting trends within all 11 sectors of the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®), to provide additional insights into reporting behavior per industry sector.

The G&A team is ready to discuss our research and to provide counsel to help your company prepare for upcoming mandatory requirements. Reach out to us at info@ga-institute.com.

Top Stories

• New Research Shows 2023 Sustainability Reporting at Record Levels as U.S. Public Companies Prepare for Mandated Disclosure (G&A Institute)

Sustainability Standard Setters & Policy Makers

SEC, SASB, GRI, IIRC, FSB-TCFD

• Voluntarily applying ISSB Standards—A guide for preparers (IFRS)

• US CFTC issues first guidelines for carbon credit markets (Reuters)

• Finance sector questions need for social and inequality TCFD equivalent (Responsible Investor – subscription required)

ESG / Sustainable & Responsible Investment

Asset Owners & Managers, Ratings Agencies

• MSCI Launches New Carbon Credit Project Ratings (ESG Today)

• $29 Trillion Investor Coalition Urges Government Policies Including Mandatory Climate Reporting, Sectoral Transition Strategies (ESG Today)

• Standard Chartered Provides Debt Financing for Carbon Project Developer UNDO (ESG Today)

Corporate Sustainability / ESG

Disclosure, Reporting, Corporate Initiatives

• G&A Institute’s Research Shows 2023 Sustainability Reporting at Record Levels as U.S. Public Companies Prepare for Mandated Disclosure (G&A Institute)

• Oxy’s 1PointFive Awarded up to $500 Million by DOE for Texas-based DAC Carbon Removal Hub (ESG Today)

• LEGO Group Increases Renewable Content in Bricks by 83% in 2024 (ESG Today)

Stakeholders That Matter

Developments, Trends, Corporate Actions Affecting Stakeholders

• Brazil experiencing record-breaking wildfires as persistent drought affects the Amazon rainforest (ABC News)

• Survey finds Gen Z hungry for transparency in food sustainability (The Packer)

• An environmental social scientist explores human migration in a warming world (Stanford University)

Global Sustainability News: Forward Momentum!

News & Developments of Note

• Renewable energy, fossil fuel goals within reach, but huge push needed: IEA (The Hill)

• UK Regulator Warns 17 Fashion Brands Over Green Claims (ESG Today)

• Hong Kong Proposes IFRS-aligned Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESG Today)

Sustainability Data in Focus

Developments in Data, Research, Trends

• 96% of young workers want their company do to more about sustainability (Fast Company)

• Asset owners confident about ESG data availability but challenges to adoption remain — FTSE Russell survey (Pensions & Investments)

• GHG Emissions have Decreased by 32.55% Since 1990 despite the Economy Growing by 67%: EU Energy Report (ESG News)

U.S. Climate Actions

Updates from and about Washington D.C.

• Fed’s rate cut promises tailwinds for renewable energy (Trellis)

• Climate Policy Outlook: Top stories of the week (Trellis)

• Court blocks implementation of Biden’s methane prevention rule in 5 states (The Hill)

Eyes on Europe

ESG Regulations

• EU Commission Proposes Carbon Footprint Labels for Flights (ESG Today)

• UK watchdog braces to outline how 'naming and shaming' plans will work (Reuters)

• The UK wants Europe’s carbon (Euractiv)

These feeds are provided for G&A Institute in partnership with 3BL. 3BL distributes press releases, blogs, videos, podcasts, reports, newsletters and more to the growing audience of stakeholders interested in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability. Visit 3BL.com for more.

• SLB Named Sustainability Award Finalist for Supply Chain Decarbonization (Article from: SLB)

• Quest Diagnostics Enhances Patient-Centered Care With Streamlined Services, Innovative Testing, and a Commitment to Health Equity in 2023 (Article from: Quest Diagnostics)

• Shining a Light on Regions and United Way (Article from: Regions Bank)