Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) is a rapidly evolving framework designed to hold companies accountable for their actions and increase understanding of how an organization or company manages its risks around these issues. In a perfect world, ESG knowledge would increase investor knowledge, maximizing stakeholder well-being.

Still, with so many confounding factors surrounding sustainability, human rights, labor conditions, and diversity in the workplace, standardizing ESG reporting is difficult, to say the least, in a corporate world filled with different industries with different objectives. Several countries and regions worldwide have worked and continue to work to standardize ESG reporting methods and requirements to give investors the best opportunity to get a clear picture of where they are putting their money and provide more robust frameworks for companies’ futures. 

The U.S., the U.K., and the EU are huge markets that ESG significantly impact. In the ever-evolving landscape, though, the three areas hold different ESG requirements and are developing new, better ways for companies to report ESG considerations.