Turn your ESG issues into a competitive advantage
Shareholders' focus on ESG issues has increased exponentially over the past several years, and it will likely continue to proliferate. To meet investors' expectations, companies must communicate and collaborate across the organization, from the board and senior management to the legal, human resources, risk management and investor relations teams, among others, each of whom represents different points of view. Georgeson offers ESG advisory services to assist companies in advancing their ESG literacy and communicating with investors on these topics.
You and your team can navigate the constantly proliferating players in the field – including reporting frameworks, research and rating providers and industry and NGO initiatives – and reach consensus within your organization as to how to best communicate with stakeholders on ESG topics by partnering with our experienced team. Our advice is informed by our deep understanding of investors' and proxy advisory firms' approach to these issues. ESG issues become a strategic, competitive advantage when our corporate governance thought leaders apply their data-driven, analytical approach and relationships across the corporate governance spectrum to your company's specific concerns.
Competitive Benchmarking
Develop an appropriate peer group
Review peers’ disclosed ESG strategies, programs and initiatives
Review of ESG corporate profiles provided by select third party data providers
Analysis of the company’s competitive positioning
Enhancement recommendation
Gap Analysis
Map companies’ current disclosure to investor-favored disclosure frameworks or rating/ranking/scoring systems to identify gaps in available information
Develop roadmap for potential ESG disclosure enhancements
Education and Training
Educate boards and senior management on ESG matters, including ESG primers and investor hot topics
Present industry ESG shareholder proposal trends and insights
Prepare corporate leaders to discuss ESG topics with their investors
Shareholder Proposal Analysis and Defense
Conduct extensive industry ESG proposal research
Analyze voting data and rationales behind investors’ support of ESG proposals
Develop key proposal defense strategies
Manage engagement programs
Proxy Advisory Firm and Institutional Investor Intelligence
Review your key institutional holders and identify current engagement priorities of each institution
Evaluate investor’s ESG voting policies, and application of those policies within your industry and peer group
Provide insight into proxy advisors’ ESG-related policies and engagement priorities