Demystifying Investor Sustainability Information Needs And Use

As capital market actors seek to incorporate sustainability-related risks, opportunities and impacts in core processes and strategies, pressure on companies to provide more and more information is growing. Despite progress on standards, data availability and integration, investors raise concerns on the limited availability of decision-useful information and companies are unclear on what, where and how the information they provide is used.

To help close this gap, this practical guide helps companies, investors and standard setters to connect the provision of sustainability information from companies to investor actions.

What You’ll Find Inside

• A classification framework outlying sustainability-related information types and focus areas
• An overview of how investor information needs vary by investment style, strategy, asset class and intended action
• Guidance for companies on understanding your investors, how to prioritize, communicate, and respond to information needs and applications
• Insights on key investor actions: investment decision-making (incl. integration, screening, thematic), engagement & stewardship, and reporting
• Case studies from asset managers and companies, covering nature, equity, and climate

The evolving sustainable investment landscape demands a shift in how companies and investors interact around sustainability information, to enable strategic integration and alignment on value, risk and long-term performance.

This guide shows that effective sustainability communication is about delivering the right information in the right way to the right people. When companies align communications with investor use cases, and investors reciprocate with transparency and feedback, the result is a more efficient, informed, and accountable investment ecosystem.