The 8 Biggest Trends In ESG in 2021

From how a company behaves in nature, to how it treats its employees and community, all the way to its leadership diversity; the environmental, social, governance (ESG) framework has become one of the most important sets of standards organizations are grappling with. But none of the three core tenets of ESG exists in a vacuum, with initiatives interdependent and inextricably linked to what’s happening in the world — and they can change in importance with public awakenings, science, and societal shifts from year to year. 

So what are the ESG principles companies should be paying attention to in 2020? Read on for a list of the eight most important trends your organization should be paying attention to. 

1. Climate Change and the Environment

Organizations are looking inward at their carbon footprint and how they tie directly to climate change around the world. With financial regulators making it a huge priority under the Biden administration and organizations pledging various green standards and clean energy commitments, the focus on climate change has made it even more apparent that taking a stand on this issue, and opening up the books to show transparency, will become more pressing. 

With organizations across all industries aligning their lobbying efforts with the Paris Agreement and taking their cue from the European Union, climate change has become a defining component of ESG strategies.

2. Lobbying Transparency and Accountability

Since Citizens United vs. FEC paved the way for money and resources to be given toward political initiatives, a greater call for transparency and accountability in lobbying and advocacy has been ongoing and even more so after the Jan. 6 attacks on Congress. Organizations are being asked by their employees and investors to address where their lobbying efforts and political action committee money is going, and more importantly, why? 

For organizations that are directly tied to legislative and regulatory risk, modern ESG strategies are looking into the financial implications of lobbying and using employee-funded PAC money on political candidates and causes with greater transparency.

3. Worker Safety and Human Capital Management

There is immense investor pressure, an SEC proposal, and growing shareholder interest to monitor and affect the lives of workers as an ESG strategy. Look for companies to begin following employee turnover, recruitment costs, employee engagement survey responses, and training and development more and more throughout the upcoming years. The conditions that employees work under are now being viewed as tantamount to their longevity at the organization and if there is upward mobility from their entrance to the company to their current position.

4. Board and Executive Diversity 

One of the most important trends in the ESG space right now is looking at an organization’s diversity on its executive teams and their corporate hierarchy. What was once an opaque process for deciding who gets promoted and elevated to executive positions, now has a push for more transparency and accountability by every level of the company. Investors are measuring the success of companies not just on the dollars and cents, but on who is running them, and what their diversity makeup is.

5. Supply Chain Pressures

With the COVID-19 pandemic, companies have undergone enormous pressure around supply chains and how dependent on foreign countries they are. Additionally, companies that do business in countries with lax labor standards, or severely undervalue their employees, are being met with heightened public scrutiny. One of the growing trends around ESG and supply chains is an emphasis on due diligence and making sure supply chains do not harbor risk to small businesses or the labor force that creates it.

6. Protests and Social Movements

Despite a global pandemic, in many ways, 2020 was defined by the social movements that gained new traction. Anti-racism and anti-discrimination policies are being prioritized and positioned in new ways at organizations that were previously left up to an HR department or outside consulting. 

Now, taking stances on the latest social movement has become common practice for organizations of all sizes to make their voice and opinion heard. Organizations are facing increasing pressure from the public to address what is going on in the news and to make changes internally as a result.

7. Social Media and Youth Engagement

Younger audiences care about where they are getting their products from, and what their environmental and social footprint is, more than any previous generation. And they’re more vocal about it. Add to that the fact social media has allowed unprecedented access to the inner workings of organizations and given the public a direct voice in the boardroom. Social media now directly impacts public perception faster than legislation and regulations can attempt to catch up.

8. Biodiversity and Exogenous Factors

With COVID-19, many of the structural flaws around parts of the economy are being taken into consideration for strategic decisions going forward. Investors are looking at how much the biodiversity of the planet will be affected by corporate goals, and similarly, how these goals can be diverted by exogenous and unforeseen factors like a global pandemic or natural disaster.

Organizations of all sizes around the globe are addressing the interdependence between expanding their business across borders and the direct toll it will take on the environment.

Stay on Top of the ESG Landscape Across the U.S. and Around the Globe with FiscalNote

It has never been more important for you to stay on top of the policy issues that cause you the greatest concern. Yet, issues are increasingly complicated at the state and federal level, and the pace can be maddening. 

FiscalNote’s legislative tracking solutions bring you the right policy information at the right time, so you can better navigate risk and maximize new opportunities. We can help you track thousands of bills seamlessly, scan legislative language, follow news about lawmakers and committees, and successfully brief your internal stakeholders on the issues that impact your organization.