What's #ESG Score and How it is calculated (2024)

ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance, and an ESG score is a measure of a company's performance in these areas. It is a rating system that is used to evaluate a company's commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices.

ESG scores are calculated by analyzing a range of data points related to a company's environmental impact, social responsibility, and corporate governance practices. The data is collected from a variety of sources, including regulatory filings, company reports, and third-party databases.

The specific methodology used to calculate an ESG score can vary depending on the rating agency or research firm. However, some common factors that are considered when determining a company's ESG score include:

1. Environmental: greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, energy efficiency, water usage, biodiversity, and pollution.
2. Social: labor practices, human rights, community relations, diversity and inclusion, health and safety, and product safety.
3. Governance: board composition and diversity, executive pay, shareholder rights, business ethics, and transparency.

Once the data has been collected and analyzed, each company is assigned an ESG score. These scores can range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating a stronger commitment to environmental, social, and governance issues.

There are several organizations and rating agencies that calculate ESG scores, each with their own methodology and sources of data. Some of the commonly used references for ESG score calculation include:

1. MSCI ESG Fundamentals: MSCI is a leading provider of ESG ratings, and their ESG Fundamentals methodology is widely used by investors and asset managers. Their methodology is based on a company's exposure to industry-specific ESG risks and their ability to manage those risks.
2. Sustainalytics: Sustainalytics is another major ESG rating agency, and their methodology is based on a company's exposure to ESG risks and their management of those risks. They evaluate a company's ESG performance across a range of issues, including climate change, labor practices, and corporate governance.
3. Corporate Knights: Corporate Knights is a media and research company that publishes an annual ranking of the world's most sustainable corporations. Their methodology evaluates companies based on a range of ESG factors, including carbon productivity, diversity and inclusion, and clean revenue.
4. Bloomberg ESG Data Service: Bloomberg provides ESG data and analytics to investors and financial professionals. Their methodology is based on a company's exposure to ESG risks and their ability to manage those risks, and they provide ESG scores for over 11,000 companies.
5. Dow Jones Sustainability Indices: The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices are a series of stock market indices that track the performance of companies with strong ESG practices. Their methodology evaluates companies based on a range of ESG factors, including climate strategy, human rights, and corporate governance.

It is important to note that different ESG rating agencies may assign different scores to the same company, due to differences in methodology and data sources. Therefore, it is recommended to use multiple sources and evaluate companies holistically to get a comprehensive understanding of their ESG performance

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