The Link Between ESG Performance and Financial Performance: A Data-Driven Analysis

Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of companies that are placing great emphasis on ESG — environmental, social, and governance issues. It’s a mainstream movement that showcases a company’s commitment to and alignment with socially progressive and pro-environment ethics and values.
But simply implementing and deploying ESG initiatives within your organization isn’t sufficient. Your organization must demonstrate its commitment to socially- and environmentally-conscious values through reporting, amongst other measures.
There are a number of organizations that call for mandated ESG reporting. These reports are compiled and submitted on a quarterly or semi-annually basis. They detail the company’s ESG-related initiatives, activities, and programs. However, business leaders often lack familiarity with ESG reporting in a more general sense. Many are uncertain as to precisely how these concepts tie back to an organization’s valuation and overall performance in the marketplace.

Examining ESG Data and Figures

The link between ESG performance and financial performance is quite clear and very quantifiable when you dig into the numbers. For instance, McKinney found that a company’s ESG strategy can bolster revenue by up to 60%.
ESG data, facts, and figures depict a business landscape where more and more investors and consumers favor companies that are showcasing their environmentally- and socially progressive stances in a tangible, quantifiable manner. This is true both in the investment world and in the broader marketplace and business world, where consumers tend to support companies that demonstrate ethics, values, and priorities that align with their own. Consider these ESG stats and figures.

• Approximately 89% of global investors say they considered ESG-related issues when making investment decisions. This 2022 figure reflects a rise from the 84% figure that was reported the prior year in 2021.

• ESG initiatives are in place for:
  •  88% of publicly-traded companies;
  • 79% of private equity and venture capital-backed businesses; and
  • 67% of privately-owned companies.

• Over one-quarter of the S&P 500 companies cited ESG in their 2020 Q4 earning calls and that figure continues to increase over time. This figure reflects a 63% rise over the prior quarter’s figure for ESG mentions.

• A study found that if companies worldwide adopt the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals — also known as SDGs — as part of their business strategy, they could collectively see an additional $12 trillion in new business opportunities annually. This would be in addition to more than  380 million jobs.

• For the 500 largest companies in the U.S., 53% of profits can be attributed to business ventures and initiatives that align with The United Nations’ Sustainable Business Goals. The same is true for 49% of the 1200 largest companies worldwide.

Additionally, The Climate Pledge reports that over 200 companies have pledged to support The Paris Agreement, which strives to reach a goal of net zero carbon a decade ahead of schedule.

The Financial Performance Advantages of ESG Initiatives

On the whole, a company that places a strong emphasis on ESG issues can expect to see a broad range of benefits in the short term and in the long term. Let’s examine a few of these ESG benefits, which include the following.

• New Opportunities for Advancement – When a company delves into the ESG arena, you can expect to see a great deal of governance-related evaluation and assessment. How do the existing policies, procedures, strategies, and operations reflect the organization’s broader ethics, values, and priorities within the context of ESG? This is an ideal time when to pinpoint new opportunities in the area of environmental and social governance. By strengthening your company’s ESG profile, you are simultaneously increasing your appeal to the broader population. But don’t forget to showcase your efforts when it counts. Otherwise, you’ll see limited ROI. Deploying a new ESG-related initiative certainly brings benefits; but if you fail to publicize those efforts in some way, investors, consumers, current clients, and prospective clients will never know how progressive your company really is.

• Improved Customer and Client Loyalty – As discussed above, consumers and investors alike are more likely to do business with a company that reflects their own beliefs, values, and priority and this is especially true when it comes to ESG. This results in a greater sense of loyalty when clients or investors share these strong commonalities with a business. The net effect is a financial advantage for both the investor and the investment firm or bank.

• Increased Employee Loyalty – Shared values, ethics, and priorities will often lead to a productive, long-term relationship between an employee and employer. This is especially true when it comes to ESG issues since they tend to be so prominent in everyday life. People tend to gravitate toward organizations that share their values and principles; this often results in improved employee loyalty. This impacts financial performance in a big way because onboarding and training for new staff can be very time-consuming and costly, especially over the long term and at a large scale. Effective staff retention is important for a company’s bottom line and ESG-friendly companies tend to enjoy a leg-up in this area.

Notably, more than 75% of consumers indicated that they no longer do business with companies that disregard the environment, their employees, and the community as a whole. While difficult to quantify in a precise manner, it’s clear that ESG-related issues have a major impact on an organization’s profitability and bottom line, regardless of industry, business size, or business type.
A survey found that companies with the greatest employee satisfaction rates had ESG scores that were approximately 15% higher than the worldwide average. It’s a clear connection between ESG issues and profitability, particularly when you consider the costs involved in hiring, training, and onboarding new staff. This is especially true when you frame these costs within the context of a large-scale operation.

Need an expert IBM OpenPages implementation partner to help you develop a comprehensive GRC solution?

Our certified consultants can assist you in making the most out of IBM OpenPages to achieve your GRC goals now and in the future.
Get in Touch

Taking Your ESG Initiatives to the Next Level With ESG Software

ESG performance and financial performance are inextricably linked, with environmentally-conscious and socially-conscious governance practices bringing a noticeable boost to a company’s standing. This is true in terms of the company’s operations, strategies, and the overall public perception of that business.
Effectively managing ESG initiatives can be tremendously challenging, even for a company that has a dedicated risk management and ESG task force. ESG issues are commonly addressed within the context of a company’s risk management and mitigation efforts and thus, many risk management software platforms include ESG modules and tools. Finding a software solution that has all the features your company needs to succeed in the ESG arena can be challenging and many businesses will cobble together multiple third-party platforms in an attempt to guide their ESG-related initiatives. This, of course, is less than ideal, and as a result, many companies fail to reach their full potential. iTech has a solution, though, as we develop one-of-a-kind risk management and ESG platforms that align with each client’s one-of-a-kind business. First, we take the time to get acquainted with the client’s company, its operations, its priorities, its strategies, its pain points, and challenges, along with the company’s goals for the future. Then, we architect a solution to solve those problems, eliminate pain points, and position the client’s company for success as it works to leverage ESG in a way that brings about maximum profitability and ROI. Reach out to the iTech team today to begin a discussion on your company’s  ESG strategy.