What matters in sustainable investor presentations

As explained in this case study, companies - in their sustainability presentations to investors - should:

• Describe the company's core business and strategic direction
• Focus on financially-material sustainability factors
• Provide a clear line-of-sight between sustainability factors and fundamental drivers of business value
• Demonstrate 'real world' sustainability impact
• Make a link between sustainability factors and the investment case / narrative for their company

We highlight below cases where we believe one (or more) of these aspects has been executed well by companies.

There is more work to be done in this respect and we welcome further examples of presentations to review.  Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Bureau Veritas: quantitative impact on society

(Demonstrating 'real world' sustainability impact')

Bureau Veritas is one of the few companies that quantify their value creation for society In the case of this company, the impact arises from providing certification and enabling trust The company's presentation articulates how its management of sustainability issues drives value creation for society, for clients and also for shareholders Bureau Veritas calculates a net positive impact number of €7.9 billion in 2019 versus €7.7 billion in 2018. Understanding these underlying value drivers allows investors to better understand the company’s ability to generate long term value.

Bureau Veritas Annual report 2019, page 73 | Published 26 March 2020

Bureau Veritas' assessment of its impact on society

Philips: impact driven strategy

(Describing the company's core business and providing a clear line of sight to drivers of business value)

Philips’ strategy is based on its view that healthcare needs to become cheaper with the focus shifting towards prevention. Cooperation and innovation help Philips achieve better health outcomes, lower cost and higher employee satisfaction. This ultimately drives better shareholder value as well by means of higher growth and higher margins. Philips actively tracks the underlying value drivers and partially discloses them, such as the number of people helped per geography

Philips Q4 2020 results | January 25, 2021

Interconnected drivers of success

Norsk Hydro: investment case driven by competitive edge in carbon footprint

(Linking sustainability factors to the investment case)

For Norsk Hydro, low carbon footprint products are key to achieving competitive advantage. In spite of its energy intensive business, Norsk Hydro will benefit from a higher carbon price as it moves down the cost curve. The company features sustainability factors as two parts of the investment case that it presents.
Norsk Hydro Capital Markets Day 2020 | December 10, 2020	Sustainability integrated into the investment thesis

Trane: innovation drives emissions reductions and customer value

(Providing a clear line-of-sight between sustainability factors and business drivers)

Trane’s HVACs are a major source of carbon emissions – a liability and an opportunity. The company aims to reduce its customer carbon footprint by 1 billion tons of CO2. Technological innovation drives emissions reductions and customer value
Trane Investor presentation | December 2020	Using a case study to link emissions reduction and customer value