June 8, 2015
2015 Flash Report S&P 500
75% of the S&P 500® Index Published Corporate Sustainability Reports in 2014
G&A Institute’s 2015 Inaugural Benchmark Study
Governance & Accountability Institute (G&A) is pleased to share findings from its 2015 Sustainability Reporting in Focus research. The analysis determined that 75% of S&P 500 companies published sustainability or corporate responsibility reports in 2014, showing how ESG disclosure had quickly become the norm among the largest U.S. public companies.
Key Findings
75% of S&P 500 companies reported in 2014, up from 72% in 2013, 53% in 2012, and just 20% in 2011.
By 2015, only 25% of companies in the S&P 500 were not publishing sustainability reports.
The growth of ESG disclosure reflects increasing stakeholder and shareholder demand for transparency and accountability.
Summary
The 2015 study marks G&A’s fourth year of monitoring sustainability reporting trends among S&P 500 companies. Over that short span, reporting surged from a minority activity to a mainstream practice embraced by three-quarters of the index. The steady growth demonstrates the importance of ESG disclosure in shaping corporate strategies, informing investors, and meeting rising expectations from customers, employees, and regulators.
What You’ll Learn
This report provides an in-depth analysis of sustainability reporting in 2014 across the S&P 500. Readers will gain perspective on how adoption rates accelerated over four years, how ESG reporting became embedded in corporate practices, and why transparency around sustainability issues is increasingly essential for maintaining stakeholder trust and competitiveness in U.S. capital markets.
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