SASB Newsletter, January 2017, Issue 15

Jay OwenReforming Global Finance, SRI/ESG News, Beyond GDP

“Ethical Markets highly recommends all of the innovative accounting metrics provided by the Sustainable Accounting Standards Board (SASB), so  necessary to drive the US and the global economy in healthier, greener, knowledge-richer directions.

~Hazel Henderson, Editor”

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From the CEO

010SASB_portraits_1941_72.jpgHere at SASB, we’re starting 2017 with a single rallying cry: let’s continue to move the markets.

The year is rife with opportunity. Our analysts are deep in consultation with companies, collecting input before the standards are codified this fall. The standards will be ready for use in this year’s filings. Our recently released 2016 Annual State of Disclosure report shows 69% of companies are already addressing at least three-quarters of SASB disclosure topics for their industry in SEC filings, and 38% are providing disclosure on all SASB topics. But, more than half uses boilerplate language. It’s time to get more useful information into the hands of investors, so that the market can do its job of understanding and pricing risk.  This year we’ll be working with our new Investor Advisory Group to engage with companies and make investor demand for improved sustainability disclosure known.

We can’t move the markets without you. We are here to provide the resources and knowledge you need to take sustainability accounting forward—so that any investor can type in a ticker and obtain sustainability fundamentals right alongside financial fundamentals, and invest accordingly. I encourage you to visit our Navigator, a wealth of data and analytics, and the Library, a central repository of research. Two new publications in the library, the Field Guide and Materiality Bulletin, provide a perspective of SASB’s work never available before.

We believe that sustainability issues are material in their own right, in certain ways, in certain industries, and that the same time-tested standards of materiality should apply to sustainability-related matters.  We believe that investors have a right to material information in a decision-useful form, and should not have to resort to questionnaires or shareholder proposals to get it. We believe companies need a cost-effective way to measure, manage, and disclose the issues that matter most. To move the markets, and reap the benefits, we must act on these beliefs. And we must act together.  Thank you for your continued support of our mission.

Here’s to a productive 2017. 

Sincerely,

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Jean Rogers, PhD, PE
CEO and Founder

SASB is Open for Consultation

Analysts engage in deep consultation with issuers and investors on the standards.

Upon completing provisional standards for 79 industries, SASB is now in a period of deep consultation to gather additional input regarding the materiality of the topics and usefulness of the metrics prior to codifying the standards in Q3 2017.

SASB analysts are now actively seeking input on the standards and proposed changes to the standards from issuers and investors.

Contact your sector analyst today to schedule a consultation.

Investor Advisory Group Launches

Investors recognize need for consistent and comparable disclosure of material, decision-useful ESG information.

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Learn more about SASB’s Investor Advisory Group

In the News

Recent media hits

New and Improved Resources

Publications, research platform, and credential offer ways to advance your knowledge of sustainability accounting.

Moving The Market: SASB SymposiumSold out Symposium provides platform for engaging discussions across varied professions.2.jpgThis December, SASB held its inaugural Symposium in NYC. The sell out crowd was treated to panels featuring high-profile securities lawyers, investors, corporate professionals, and accountants. SASB CEO and founder, Jean Rogers, provided opening remarks while Former SEC Chair, Elisse Walter, gave the closing keynote

Navigator.jpg SASB Navigator: A research platform  that allows you to analyze individual corporate disclosure quality for 4,300+ public filings.
FSA.png Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting (FSA) Credential: A credential that helps you understand the link between material sustainability information and a company’s financial performance.
Lib.png SASB Library: A central repository of guidance and resources on sustainability accounting. 
ASOD.png Annual State of Disclosure Report: The first report to benchmark sustainability disclosure in SEC filings.
ESG Int.png ESG Integration Insights: Case studies demonstrating the practice of incorporating ESG factors into investment decision-making.
Field Guide.jpg Field Guide: A reference manual that provides a high-level overview of key characteristics of an industry, while also addressing what related challenges it faces compared to other industries.
Materiality Bulletrin.png Materiality Bulletin: The first publication to provide a detailed overview of SASB’s approach to materiality in its standard-setting process.