Fragmented, inconsistent or unavailable environmental, social and governance (ESG) data remains a thorn in the side of our industry. Gaps and inconsistencies in long-term ESG data can make it difficult to discern overall progress, or to compare how different countries or sectors stack up. Yet as the data has steadily improved, it’s increasingly possible to paint a truly long-term picture of ESG progress at the index level, and to sift the data to provide meaningful and highly granular analysis of the various trends that together make up the overall direction of travel. In a landmark study of ESG data going back 14 years, we’ve done exactly that, lifting the veil on global ESG progress. Our forthcoming whitepaper, titled Insights from 14 years of ESG data: A long-term study of ESG score changes across regions, sectors and themes, will provide a breakdown of the evolution of the inputs that power LGIM’s ESG scores. Below we summarise some of the key findings of the report, plus five broad conclusions we present based on the analysis.

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