March 23, 2016
2016 Flash Report S&P 500
81% of S&P 500® Companies Published Sustainability Reports in 2015
G&A Institute’s 2016 Inaugural Benchmark Study
Governance & Accountability Institute (G&A) is pleased to share findings from its 2016 Sustainability Reporting in Focus research. The analysis determined that 81% of S&P 500 companies published sustainability or corporate responsibility reports in 2015, showing how disclosure had become a consistent norm across the largest U.S. public companies.
Key Findings
81% of S&P 500 companies reported in 2015, up from 75% in 2014 and just 20% in 2011.
Year-over-year growth: 53% in 2012, 72% in 2013, 75% in 2014, and 81% in 2015.
By 2016, only 19% of S&P 500 companies were not publishing sustainability reports.
The dramatic rise in reporting reflects growing stakeholder and shareholder expectations, as well as increasing customer and investor demands for ESG data.
Summary
The 2016 study highlights the rapid adoption of sustainability reporting among S&P 500 companies over a five-year period. From just one in five companies reporting in 2011 to more than four in five by 2015, ESG disclosure became embedded in corporate practice. This shift underscores the importance of sustainability as a factor in strategy-setting, capital allocation, and stakeholder communication. Reporting on ESG performance is no longer optional but increasingly seen as an expectation and best practice in U.S. capital markets.
What You’ll Learn
This report charts the growth of sustainability reporting within the S&P 500, providing a year-over-year perspective on adoption trends. Readers will gain insights into how reporting has evolved into a mainstream business practice, how ESG information is being used by investors and stakeholders, and why disclosure is now considered a core component of corporate accountability and competitiveness.
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