The debate over ESG (environmental, social and governance issues) has simmered for years due to the growing pressure on business leaders and the investment community to address it in meaningful ways.
This pressure is being applied not just by regulators but by stakeholders of virtually every type—investors, customers, business partners, employees and job seekers. All of them want greater transparency into the operations and business practices of the companies they invest in, buy from, partner with and work for. A 2022 KPMG survey of more than 1,300 global CEOs, for example, found that 69% now face higher levels of stakeholder pressure to improve their companies’ ESG reporting transparency.