Customer Logins

Obtain the data you need to make the most informed decisions by accessing our extensive portfolio of information, analytics, and expertise. Sign in to the product or service center of your choice.

Customer Logins

My Logins

All Customer Logins
S&P Global S&P Global Marketplace
Explore S&P Global

  • S&P Global
  • S&P Dow Jones Indices
  • S&P Global Market Intelligence
  • S&P Global Mobility
  • S&P Global Commodity Insights
  • S&P Global Ratings
  • S&P Global Sustainable1
Close
Discover more about S&P Global's offerings
Investor Relations
  • Investor Relations Home
  • Presentations
  • Investor Fact Book
  • News Releases
  • Quarterly Earnings
  • SEC Filings & Reports
  • Executive Committee
  • Governance
  • Merger Information
  • Stock & Dividends
  • Shareholder Services
  • Contact
Support
  • Contact Us
  • Media Contacts
S&P Global ESG Sustainable1
  • Who We Are
  • Who We Serve
  • Solutions
  • Research & Insights
  • Events
  • Speak to a Specialist
  • Speak to a Specialist
  • Speak to a Specialist
  • Who We Are
      About Purpose Approach People History
  • Who We Serve
      Academia Commercial Banking Corporations Exchanges and Issuers Insurance Investment Banking Investment Management Private Equity Client Case Studies
  • Solutions
      Our SolutionsSustainability Reporting ESG Scores and Raw Data Physical Climate Risk Nature Positive Net Zero Carbon Markets  Energy Transition Second Party Opinions Climate Transition Assessment Sustainability Indices Corporate Sustainability Assessment Sustainability Benchmarking Services ExploreClimate Center of Excellence Transition Tracker Quality Imperative Data Coverage Methodologies Industry Materiality
  • Research & Insights
      Our Latest Blogs Research Reports All Things Sustainable Podcast Sustainability Quarterly Research Journal Sustainability Matters Video Series Climate Risk & Resilience Sustainability Regulation and Standards Sustainable Finance The Path to Net Zero
  • Events
      All Events Webinar Replays
Investor Relations
  • Investor Relations Home
  • Presentations
  • Investor Fact Book
  • News Releases
  • Quarterly Earnings
  • SEC Filings & Reports
  • Executive Committee
  • Governance
  • Merger Information
  • Stock & Dividends
  • Shareholder Services
  • Contact
Support
  • Contact Us
  • Media Contacts
    • About
    • Purpose
    • Approach
    • People
    • History
    • Academia
    • Commercial Banking
    • Corporations
    • Exchanges and Issuers
    • Insurance
    • Investment Banking
    • Investment Management
    • Private Equity
    Client Case Studies
  • Our Solutions
    • Sustainability Reporting
    • ESG Scores and Raw Data
    • Physical Climate Risk
    • Nature Positive
    • Net Zero
    • Carbon Markets
     
    • Energy Transition
    • Second Party Opinions
    • Climate Transition Assessment
    • Sustainability Indices
    • Corporate Sustainability Assessment
    • Sustainability Benchmarking Services
    Explore
    • Climate Center of Excellence
    • Transition Tracker
    • Quality Imperative
    • Data Coverage
    • Methodologies
    • Industry Materiality
    • Our Latest
    • Blogs
    • Research Reports
    • All Things Sustainable Podcast
    • Sustainability Quarterly Research Journal
    • Sustainability Matters Video Series
    • Climate Risk & Resilience
    • Sustainability Regulation and Standards
    • Sustainable Finance
    • The Path to Net Zero
    • All Events
    • Webinar Replays
BLOG Feb 11, 2021

What will new ESG regulatory focus mean for data management?

Contributor Image
Kieran Gallagher

Executive Director, EDM, S&P Global Market Intelligence

The incorporation of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into the investment process is one of the hottest trends of recent years. However, standardization and regulation of ESG have not kept pace.

ESG standards have typically been set by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and industry associations, with no single, accepted framework for evaluating and comparing assets. The industry has also relied on often opaque scoring mechanisms to assess the ESG credentials of assets.

This lack of consistency and transparency has diluted the trustworthiness of ESG as a category, leading to accusations of 'greenwashing' in some quarters. However, the tide is starting to turn, as regulators focus more on ESG.

In Europe, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) is prescribing standardized ESG disclosure and investment practices. Meanwhile in the US, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has published initial guidance aimed at improving transparency for investors and credibility for the industry. For example, it has proposed that asset managers should document the processes used to generate scores, perform proxy voting and notify the board of any disagreement with a decision.

The development of these more prescriptive disclosure requirements raises questions about the way financial firms collect, aggregate and contextualize their ESG data. Firms will need the flexibility to roll data up to present the big picture; break it down to show how the evaluation was calculated; and set rules about what to include and exclude in their scoring. Above all else, they will need to be able to annotate specific data points and ensure that the notations track through to any report in which the data is cited.

Given the wide range of ESG metrics required to meet the requirements of regulators and investors, there is a growing need to collect and manage the data using a strategic data management and warehousing solution. This allows asset managers to aggregate data from a range of sources and link these metrics with related investments and financial entities, as well as integrating ESG factors into their current and historical portfolio reports.

Critically, to keep up with increased regulatory scrutiny, firms need flexible disclosure functionality that enables them to append notes to data and create disclosure statements that can be automatically presented to external parties. This is what we offer with EDM Warehouse, our buy-side reporting solution. We give users that ability to bind notes to their data so that if they run multiple reports, a correct and complete set of disclosures will appear in every version. This allows users to define, set and modify rules about what to include or exclude in disclosures and specify the inquiries, accounts, funds and instruments in which they need to appear.

As more robust and granular ESG reporting methodologies are rolled out, the ability to manage and contextualize the underlying data will become a critical capability. Leveraging a strategic data management and warehousing platform with integrated disclosure management will help financial firms keep up with rapidly evolving regulatory and investor expectations.

Find out how we are helping financial firms manage their ESG data here.

Read our ESG data management client case study about Mirabaud Asset Management here.

Previous Next
Recommended for you

Data and Information Services
Trade Processing
Risk and Regulatory Compliance
Financial Technology Solutions

Learn more about our ESG data management and reporting solutions

Read more
Related Posts
VIEW ALL
Indices Commentary Dec 16, 2021

iTraxx MSCI ESG Screened Europe Index - One year on

Articles & Reports Nov 03, 2021

What it takes to produce smart and sustainable semiconductor chips

Blog Sep 24, 2021

How ESG is changing the private equity markets

VIEW ALL
{"items" : [ {"name":"share","enabled":true,"desc":"<strong>Share</strong>","mobdesc":"Share","options":[ {"name":"facebook","url":"https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3a%2f%2fwww.spglobal.com%2fesg%2fs1%2fresearch-analysis%2fwhat-will-new-esg-regulatory-focus-mean-for-data-management.html","enabled":true},{"name":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.spglobal.com%2fesg%2fs1%2fresearch-analysis%2fwhat-will-new-esg-regulatory-focus-mean-for-data-management.html&text=What+will+new+ESG+regulatory+focus+mean+for+data+management%3f+%7c+S%26P+Global+","enabled":true},{"name":"linkedin","url":"https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.spglobal.com%2fesg%2fs1%2fresearch-analysis%2fwhat-will-new-esg-regulatory-focus-mean-for-data-management.html","enabled":true},{"name":"email","url":"?subject=What will new ESG regulatory focus mean for data management? | S&P Global &body=http%3a%2f%2fwww.spglobal.com%2fesg%2fs1%2fresearch-analysis%2fwhat-will-new-esg-regulatory-focus-mean-for-data-management.html","enabled":true},{"name":"whatsapp","url":"https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=What+will+new+ESG+regulatory+focus+mean+for+data+management%3f+%7c+S%26P+Global+ http%3a%2f%2fwww.spglobal.com%2fesg%2fs1%2fresearch-analysis%2fwhat-will-new-esg-regulatory-focus-mean-for-data-management.html","enabled":true}]}, {"name":"rtt","enabled":true,"mobdesc":"Top"} ]}
Share
Top
Filter Sort
  • Our Values
  • Investor Relations
  • Contact Customer Care & Sales
  • Careers
  • Our History
  • News Releases
  • Support by Division
  • Corporate Responsibility
  • Ventures
  • Quarterly Earnings
  • Report an Ethics Concern
  • Leadership
  • Press
  • SEC Filings & Reports
  • Office Locations
  • IOSCO ESG Rating & Data Product Statements
  • © 2025 S&P Global
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Notice
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • 中文