Workshop 1 : The Enterprise Perspective on the disclosure of environmental, social and governance information

The first workshop looked at ESG disclosure from the perspective of enterprises themselves, the information providers.

One objective was to better understand current ESG disclosure practices and trends.

The workshop also examined the motivations of enterprises regarding ESG disclosure, including why some enterprises chose to communicate ESG information publicly, while other enterprises, especially SMEs, chose not to do so.

Participants also identified key problems faced by enterprises in achieving what they want to achieve through ESG disclosure and suggested possible ways of addressing those problems.

ESG disclosure takes different forms for different audiences, from chapters integrated in annual reports or annual accounts, to information on packaging, internal communication to employees or a formal CSR/sustainability report.
Such reports have become increasingly common in recent years.

The most innovative companies in this field are experimenting with different disclosure techniques, including the use of electronic and social media.
Others have moved towards fully integrated annual reports with ESG disclosure in different parts of the report.

But these trends apply mainly to large companies.
With some exceptions, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) practice disclosure and transparency in an informal manner, communicate ESG information as necessary directly to their employees and to buyers rather than publishing CSR/sustainability reports.

Participants on this workshop identified different problems faced by enterprises, such as the difficulty of communicating with consumers, internal resistance to change, or the financial costs of ESG disclosure.

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Workshop 1 : The Enterprise Perspective on the disclosure of environmental, social and governance information

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