March 20, 2018
2018 Flash Report S&P 500
85% of S&P 500 Index® Companies Publish Sustainability Reports in 2017
G&A Institute’s 2018 Inaugural Benchmark Study
Governance & Accountability Institute (G&A) is pleased to share findings from its 2018 Sustainability Reporting in Focus research. The analysis determined that 85% of S&P 500 companies published sustainability or corporate responsibility reports in 2017, continuing the upward trajectory of ESG disclosure among large-cap U.S. companies.
Key Findings
85% of S&P 500 companies reported in 2017, compared to 82% in 2016 and just 20% in 2011.
Year-over-year growth: 53% in 2012, 72% in 2013, 75% in 2014, 81% in 2015, 82% in 2016, and 85% in 2017.
The steady rise in reporting demonstrates that ESG disclosure has become a reliable and consistent practice among the largest U.S. public companies.
Reports increasingly address ESG performance and achievements, with content expanding over time to reflect stakeholder expectations and global standards.
Summary
The 2018 analysis highlights how sustainability reporting has moved from an emerging practice to an established expectation across the S&P 500. In just seven years, reporting jumped from fewer than one in five companies in 2011 to nearly nine in ten in 2017. This expansion in disclosure underscores the growing importance of ESG considerations in corporate strategy, risk management, and communication with investors, employees, customers, and other stakeholders.
What You’ll Learn
This report provides insights into the evolution of sustainability reporting within the S&P 500, charting the rapid adoption of ESG disclosure over time. Readers will gain perspective on year-over-year progress, sector-level trends, and how corporate reporting has developed into a key driver of transparency and accountability in the U.S. capital markets.
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