Business Wire

The Power of Transparency: Individual Investors Demand ESG Data They Can Trust

Share

Workiva Inc. (NYSE:WK) today released findings from a survey of individual investors that reveal approximately 70% of respondents believe organizations have a responsibility to demonstrate ESG performance to investors, with Gen Z and younger Millennial-aged investors (18-34 year-olds) the most demanding around ESG credentials. The survey revealed transparency around ESG disclosures is becoming integral to investor decisions, and companies will undoubtedly experience increased pressure from investors to be able to report on their progress.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210525005313/en/

“Our survey findings represent a powerful motivation for organizations to take a serious look at how they are reporting ESG and other non-financial data,” said Julie Iskow, chief operating officer of Workiva. “We believe there is a real competitive advantage in attracting today’s modern investors with a commitment to corporate transparency.”

Top Survey Trends:

Younger Investors Know What They Want. Awareness around ESG is especially high within the younger generation, with 84% being aware of ESG, and of this group nearly two-thirds (64%) claiming to know a lot about it.

  • ESG awareness was found to be most prevalent in Germany with 93% of investors under 34 years old noting they were already aware of ESG in investments.
  • In the United States 65% of Gen Z and Millennials state ESG in companies has become more important over the last year and will continue to become more important (69%) due to climate change.
  • Also, most pronounced in the U.S., 72% of 18–34 year-olds want to know whether a company lives up to their social and moral beliefs before they invest.

Difficulty in Trusting Data. When asked if they found it difficult to trust what companies are disclosing about what they’re doing for the environment and society, only 15% of respondents disagreed.

  • In addition, over 60% of respondents across all regions stated they find it difficult to judgewhether companies are doing the right thing when it comes to the environment and society.

Data is the Key. Over one-third of survey respondents (43%) in all markets noted they trust ESG performance more when reported through numbers and data than qualitative descriptions — this increased to 54% for 18-34 year-olds.

  • 72% of individual investors believe that companies should make it easier for them to judge ESG efforts through data.
  • More than half of all individual investors surveyed expressed that they would be more likely to invest in a company that demonstrates its ESG performance. This sentiment increased to 60% for Gen Z and Millennial-aged investors across all regions.

This survey of individual investors comes on the heels of large institutional investors and asset managers extolling the benefits of integrating ESG metrics as a key factor in building their investment portfolios, as well as trends in new regulations requiring non-financial reporting.

“The survey indicates that investors want to see earnings growth, deeper data transparency and progress in all areas of ESG. This will require a technology solution that can deliver accuracy and simplify the complex process of collecting and reporting non-financial data; Workiva is revolutionizing how companies approach ESG reporting with a solution that does just that,” added Iskow.

Workiva's cloud-based platform creates a connected and controlled ecosystem that streamlines the integration of financial and non-financial information. ESG and finance teams can collect, assemble and report data on one secure platform, allowing businesses to keep pace with the rapidly growing demand for trusted, transparent data and proof of ESG forward-looking business goals.

Check out the ESG Survey results or learn more about Workiva’s purpose-built ESG reporting solution.

About the Survey

Workiva commissioned a survey to better understand the current sentiment of individual investors (who have grown in importance and activity1) on the transparency and faith in ESG performance and reporting data. The survey findings cover individual investors from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France. Read our Fact Sheet for methodology and specific question responses.

1. Individual investors made up an estimated 19.5% of U.S. equity trading volume according to Bloomberg Intelligence, a jump of over 4% compared to 2019.

About Workiva

Workiva Inc. (NYSE: WK) simplifies complex work for thousands of organizations worldwide. Customers trust Workiva’s open, intelligent and intuitive platform to connect data, documents and teams. The results: improved efficiency, greater transparency and less risk. Learn more at workiva.com.

Request a Workiva demo: www.workiva.com/request-demo
Read the Workiva blog: www.workiva.com/blog
Follow Workiva on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/workiva
Like Workiva on Facebook: www.facebook.com/workiva/
Follow Workiva on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Workiva
Follow Workiva on Instagram: www.instagram.com/workivalife

To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

Contact information

Media:
Kevin McCarthy
Workiva Inc.
(515) 663-4471
press@workiva.com

About Business Wire

Business Wire
Business Wire
24 Martin Lane
EC4R 0DR London

+44 20 7626 1982http://www.businesswire.co.uk

(c) 2018 Business Wire, Inc., All rights reserved.

Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is the global leader in multiplatform press release distribution.

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

H.I.G. Capital Announces the Sale of DGS S.p.A.11.6.2024 12:00:00 CEST | Press release

H.I.G. Capital (“H.I.G.”), a leading global alternative investment firm with $62 billion of capital under management, is pleased to announce that an affiliate has signed a definitive agreement to sell its portfolio company, DGS S.p.A. (“DGS” or the “Group”), a leading firm in the Italian Information Technology market, to DGS Co-Founders and management team in partnership with ICG, a global alternative asset manager. Since its inception in 1997, DGShas supported blue-chip customers in the design, integration, and maintenance of complex IT systems, with a specialization in digital transformation and cybersecurity services. The Group currently has over 1,900 employees, revenues of approximately €300 million, and maintains a group of highly loyal clientele. During H.I.G.’s ownership, DGS has tripled in size and consolidated its position as a leading Italian firm in cybersecurity services and digital transformation. DGS offers its clients sophisticated and proprietary digital transformation

Evertas Names Nick Selby Head of European Underwriting11.6.2024 12:00:00 CEST | Press release

Evertas, the world’s first crypto insurance company, has named Nick Selby as its new Head of European Underwriting. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240611141887/en/ Nick Selby, Executive Vice President and Head of European Underwriting at Evertas (Photo: Business Wire) Selby, an accomplished information and physical security professional, brings two decades of expertise in public and private sector information security, physical security, and complex incident handling, as well as seven years of experience leading teams securing billions of dollars in cryptoassets. Previously, his roles included VP of the Software Assurance Practice at Trail of Bits, Chief Security Officer at Paxos Trust Company, and Director of Cyber Intelligence and Investigations at the NYPD Intelligence Bureau. “Nick is an extremely valuable addition to our European team,” said Evertas CEO and Co-Founder J. Gdanski. “His public and private

Owlet utvider globalt fotavtrykk med lanseringen av medisinsk-sertifisert Dream Sock™ i Storbritannia og over hele Europa11.6.2024 11:00:00 CEST | Pressemelding

Owlet, Inc. («Owlet» or the «Company») (NYSE:OWLT), pioneren innen smart spedbarnsovervåking, kunngjør i dag den britiske og europeiske lanseringen av Dream Sock. Dette er en smart babymonitor med levende helseavlesninger og varsler for friske spedbarn mellom 0-18 måneder og 2,5-13,6 kg. Dette innovative medisinske utstyret gir foreldre helse og viktig informasjon i sanntid, noe som gir uovertruffen trygghet. Denne pressemeldingen inneholder multimedia. Se hele pressemeldingen her: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240611820341/no/ (Photo: Business Wire) «Vi er svært stolte over å lansere Dream Sock til omsorgspersoner over hele Storbritannia og Europa og gi millioner av foreldre mer trygghet mens babyen sover,» sa Kurt Workman, Owlets administrerende direktør og medgründer. «Dream Sock er nå et globalt produkt som er anerkjent som medisinsk nøyaktig og trygt, etter å ha gjennomgått regulatoriske autorisasjoner og sertifiseringer innenfor flere geografier. I dag er misjonen vår

V-Nova Surpasses 1000 Patent Milestone in Media Technology Innovation11.6.2024 10:00:00 CEST | Press release

V-Nova, a leading provider of data compression solutions, video compression technology, XR technology, AI acceleration and parallel processing for a multitude of industries including media and entertainment, today announced its milestone achievement of 1000 active technology patents. This accomplishment underscores V-Nova’s dedication to research and development and its commitment to protecting its intellectual property globally. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240611724561/en/ V-Nova’s patent portfolio spans more than 50 different jurisdictions. Including over 400 patents in Europe, over 200 in the Americas, over 100 in the United States specifically, and over 200 in Asia. V-Nova forged new directions in data processing to enhance digital experiences, maximize efficiency, reduce costs, and increase sustainability. The company leads the way with key international data compression standards for the video indust

Alipay+ Reveals Top Scorer Trophy Design for UEFA EURO 2024™11.6.2024 09:24:00 CEST | Press release

Alipay+, a suite of cross-border mobile payment and digitalization technology solutions operated by Ant International and an Official Partner of UEFA EURO 2024™, today revealed the trophy that will be awarded to the most prolific marksman at the UEFA EURO 2024™ finale on July 14 in Berlin, Germany. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240610328619/en/ The UEFA Top Scorer Trophy presented by Alipay+ is unveiled for UEFA EURO 2024™ (Photo: Business Wire) Sculpted in the shape of the Chinese character “支” (pronounced zhi, and meaning payment as well as support), the trophy reflects Alipay+’s dedication to supporting consumers to enjoy seamless payment and a broad choice of deals using their preferred payment methods while traveling abroad. The character also resembles the fleeting moment of a barefooted striker poised to shoot, evoking the original beauty and power of football – a game that united people across the wo

HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye