SKBI and SGFC presents: Panel Discussion on ESG Measurements & Standards

With the growth of sustainable, responsible, and impact (SRI) investing, the measurement and assessment of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impacts of investment is becoming an imperative issue. Numerous concerns have been raised over the reliability of existing ESG ratings, including the incomparability between different ESG metrics, biases and inconsistencies in rating construction, and low correlations between different ratings. This calls for greater standardization of ESG information disclosure and impact measurement, as well as properly valuing impact, not just in its natural unit but also in monetary terms.

The Sim Kee Boon Institute (SKBI) and Singapore Green Finance Centre (SGFC) presented a live webinar on ESG Measurements and Standards on 31 August 2021. It was held as a side event of the 4th Annual Global Research Alliance for Sustainable Finance & Investment (GRASFI) Conference. The session covered two main topics: (1) divergence and convergence of different ESG ratings, and (2) how measurements can move beyond ratings towards an impact-weighted account.