Authors: Marla Orenstein and Brendan Cooke
New ESG report offers 18 actions for government
A new report by the Canada West Foundation, ESG: Why should governments care and what can governments do?, makes the case for governments at the municipal, provincial and federal level to support strong, consistent ESG reporting and provide clarity for investors. It offers 18 potential areas of action for governments and evaluates their usefulness.
The report is the first in Canada to describe key actions that governments should take — as well as actions governments should avoid because they cause more problems than they solve. Among the recommendations are:
DO: Organize public data in a way that is easy for ESG-interested audiences to access and understand.
DO: Reduce reporting inefficiencies and costs for companies by aligning compliance data with ESG reporting frameworks.
DON’T: Create your own ESG reporting framework for companies in your jurisdiction.
While a profusion of guidance and information is produced about ESG every day, almost none of it is focused on what governments could be doing. This new Canada West Foundation report provides recommendations that will save governments time and money as they grapple with the implications of ESG.
Further reading:
ESG and the Canadian Energy Sector
Read the full report