Green Data, Dirty Truth

Cleaning Up Your ESG Reporting

Data is at the heart of ESG. But for many companies, what should be an engine of credibility is instead a source of confusion—or worse, obfuscation. Mismatched metrics, inconsistent definitions, and cherry-picked highlights can undermine stakeholder confidence and raise accusations of greenwashing.

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You’re a CFO, data officer, or ESG lead tasked with ensuring accurate, meaningful disclosures. But with multiple frameworks, fragmented data sources, and growing investor scrutiny, you’re struggling to find the signal in the noise.

Great ESG reporting doesn’t mean more data—it means better data. Start by aligning your ESG reporting with your enterprise data strategy. Prioritise quality over quantity, consistency over perfection, and context over jargon.

• Audit Your ESG Data Infrastructure Map where data lives, who owns it, and how it’s verified. Many ESG failures come from spreadsheet sprawl and siloed responsibility.

• Harmonise Reporting Standards Use one primary framework (e.g. GRI, SASB, or CSRD) and map other frameworks onto it. This reduces duplication and simplifies your narrative.

• Invest in Assurance Early Independent ESG assurance is no longer optional. Build a roadmap to third-party verification before regulation demands it.

• Link ESG Data to Financial Materiality Show how ESG performance affects your P&L, from energy efficiency savings to reputation-driven revenue.

• Tell the Full Story with Dashboards and Case Studies Use interactive dashboards to show real-time progress, but contextualise with case studies that humanise the data.

When data is clean, transparent, and tied to real-world outcomes, ESG reports become strategic assets. They inspire confidence—not questions.

Don’t let your ESG report drown in data. Clean it up. Connect it to strategy. And earn the trust that moves markets.

What Investors Actually Read in Your ESG Report

You’ve spent months crafting your ESG report. It’s 100 pages long, packed with metrics, initiatives, and proud achievements. But when it lands on an investor’s desk, they skim it—or skip it. Why? Because most ESG reports don’t speak the language investors use to make decisions.

You’re in investor relations, corporate reporting, or senior leadership. You know ESG is on investors’ radar. But translating ESG value into investor value? That’s where most reports fall short.

Investors don’t want your ESG story. They want your ESG thesis. They’re looking for signals that ESG factors are being managed with the same rigour as financial ones—and that your business is positioned for sustainable growth.

• Prioritise What’s Decision-Useful Investors want clear risk disclosures, sector-specific KPIs, and forward-looking information—not generic statements of intent.

• Make the Link to Capital Allocation Show how ESG priorities influence where and how you invest, spend, and grow. ESG strategy without capital commitment feels hollow.

• Include Scenario Planning Demonstrate how your business model adapts to future ESG-related risks, from regulation to climate change.

• Quantify the Upside Highlight cost savings, new revenue streams, and competitive advantages tied to ESG progress.

• Be Consistent Year to Year Investors track progress. Consistent metrics and frameworks help them compare performance over time—and across peers.

An ESG report that lands with investors is one that leads to meaningful conversations. It moves you from compliance to conviction.

Don’t just publish an ESG report. Make it an investment proposition. Speak in numbers, not adjectives—and investors will listen.