How digital tech can help companies improve ESG reporting, fight climate change

Developments in fintech and green technology have led to greater sophistication in analysing ESG related data, says FTSE Russell’s Helena Fung

All of the nearly 2,500 Hong Kong-listed companies are required to publish annual sustainability reports on their ESG performance

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Collecting and analysing data related to firms’ ESG progress has grown in importance. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 3:00pm, 16 Oct 2022

Digital technology can help companies improve ESG reporting and track their progress, as pressure mounts on firms to prove their contributions to fighting climate change, according to analysts.

Collecting and analysing data related to firms’ environmental, social and governance progress has grown in importance as countries around the world have made pledges to reduce emissions and tackle climate change.

“Data has been at the heart of many conversations about how we move forward and drive progress in implementing sustainability,” Helena Fung, head of sustainable investment in Asia-Pacific at FTSE Russell, said at a webinar hosted by the Asian Financial Forum on Thursday.

Along with greater sophistication in analysing data over the past 18 months because of developments in fintech and green technology, there is also a greater desire to measure impact and outcomes, Fung added.

All Hong Kong-listed companies are required to publish annual sustainability reports on their ESG performance. Photo: Bloomberg

Disclosure of ESG issues is the first step in order to allow investors to measure the impact of a firms’ business activities, according to Tim Chan, head of sustainability research for Asia-Pacific ex-Japan at Morgan Stanley.

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