NEW YORK, June 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ninety-eight
percent of institutional investors say a company with strong
environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives makes for a
more attractive investment, according to the newly released white
paper, Is Your ESG Report Getting Noticed?, developed by
Burson-Marsteller, a strategic
communications and global public relations firm, and research firm
PSB.
The white paper revealed results of a survey conducted among
institutional investors at banks, insurance companies and
hedge/mutual funds that have investments of at least 10,000 shares
on the stock exchange. Respondents have worked at their current
company for at least one year. PSB conducted the research on behalf
of Burson-Marsteller from
December 2016 to January 2017.
The survey findings revealed important insights into how
investors consume ESG data and how companies can better tailor
their ESG reports for this critical audience. "The responsible
investment movement is here to stay," said Tim Mohin, Chief Executive of the Global
Reporting Initiative (GRI). "Savvy investors realize that aligning
their capital with sustainable business practice is a smart,
long-term strategy."
Building on their interest in ESG initiatives, institutional
investors say the most important ESG data are the return on dollars
invested in social and environmental initiatives (41 percent). This
is followed closely by impact data, such as quantified reduction in
carbon emissions (41 and 31 percent, respectively).
When it comes to today's evolving digital world, institutional
investors are divided on the preferred format of an ESG report. The
survey found that roughly half see digital ESG reports as
sufficient, while the other half looks for a more in-depth PDF
report that can be saved or printed. While investors believe
digital reports make it easier to find data (37 percent) and share
content (36 percent), almost all (95 percent) say it is very
important that a report be downloadable.
"The financial impacts of a company's sustainability policies
and initiatives are no longer in question," said Jane Madden, Managing Director, U.S. Corporate
Responsibility at Burson-Marsteller. "This study shows the
importance of content, format and credibility to ESG reporting. The
findings suggest institutional investors are keenly interested in
ESG performance. Companies need to communicate ESG performance with
data, transparency and links to business impacts."
Additional findings include:
- Roughly six in 10 investors say ESG reports should provide
comprehensive and detailed information, while 37 percent prefer
they be short, concise and to-the-point.
- Nearly two-thirds of investors say it is very important for
digital ESG reports to be easily shareable, downloadable and
printable. Another half (52 percent) say it is very important that
they also be mobile friendly.
For more information about this whitepaper and to view a
downloadable PDF, visit the site here.
About Burson-Marsteller
Burson-Marsteller, established in 1953, is a
leading global strategic communications and public relations firm.
It provides clients with strategic thinking and program execution
across a full range of public relations, public affairs, reputation
and crisis management, advertising and digital strategies. The
firm's seamless worldwide network consists of 77 offices and 85
affiliate offices, together operating in 110 countries across six
continents. Burson-Marsteller is a
part of Young & Rubicam Group, a subsidiary of WPP (NASDAQ:
WPPGY), the world's leader in communications services. For more
information, please visit www.burson-marsteller.com.
About PSB
PSB, a member of Young & Rubicam Group
and the WPP Group, is a global research consultancy that delivers
custom, prescriptive strategy for blue-chip corporate, political
and entertainment clients. PSB's operations include over 200
consultants and a sophisticated in-house market research
infrastructure with global capabilities. PSB is headquarted in
Washington D.C., with offices in
New York, Seattle, Los
Angeles, Denver,
London, and Madrid. PSB gets To the Point, backing
actionable strategy with scientific-grade data to give you
competitive edge, no matter the business problem. More at
www.psbresearch.com.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/institutional-investors-more-likely-to-invest-in-companies-with-business-driven-esg-disclosures-according-to-new-white-paper-300479585.html
SOURCE Burson-Marsteller