Written communicationsFAQs

How to prioritise which ESG questionnaires to answer?

To help companies prioritise the risks and opportunities of responding or not responding to questionnaires, ESG Global Advisors recommends that a company addresses the following questions:

  • What are the ESG interests of top current or potential investors? Does the questionnaire relate to an information source that that is used by these investors, or an engagement activity that they support?

  • Does the questionnaire relate to an ESG factor identified as financially material for the company? Could answering the questionnaire help the company to communicate more effectively on this ESG factor?
  • How much effort is required to answer the questionnaire, and what are the risks of not doing so? Is it likely to impact access to capital, damage the company’s reputation, or result in engagement follow-up that is even more time-consuming?

    • A company providing strong investor-focused ESG reporting based on a thorough ESG materiality assessment is better-placed to be selective in responding to ESG questionnaires.