There are large gaps in decision-useful data for investors on sustainability-related issues, particularly outside of climate. Corporate reporting standard setters (e.g. the International Sustainability Standards Board), policy makers and regulators are working to fill these gaps through new sustainability-related disclosure standards. However, they often see the investor community as a single homogenous group with a common set of data needs. In contrast, the PRI’s signatory base is diverse, given different investment objectives, mandates, investment strategies, jurisdictional requirements etc.

The purpose of this project is to:

  • structure PRI’s thinking about its signatories’ data needs on priority sustainability issues; and
  • support PRI in developing evidence for its asks to standard setters on decision-useful information for the breadth of its signatory base.

The project aims to provide insights that:

  • Are agnostic of issues and jurisdiction;
  • Links: (i) how asset owners and investment managers integrate ESG into their investment activities; with (ii) their high-level data needs on sustainability-related (or ESG) data; and
  • Reflects the diversity of data needs within the PRI signatory base and the drivers of these needs.

The project is developing these insights through multiple stages of engagement with signatories, including interviews with members of the PRI’s Corporate Reporting Reference Group[1].

The project will also apply the draft framework to different sustainability-related issues, such as human rights – where it is linked with ongoing work within the PRI.

The project on human rights is to understand the qualitative and quantitative data needs and challenges associated with institutional investor’ responsibility to respect human rights and integration into investment processes and stewardship activities. PRI has appointed Shift to support this project. This page will be updated with the reporting on this project in the third quarter of 2022.

For more information on the overall data needs work, please contact Adams Koshy: [email protected]

For more information on the human rights project, please contact Nikolaj Halkjaer Pedersen: [email protected]

References

[1] If you are interested in joining this group, please visit our call for applications page for details on the application process.

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