EDM Council, a cross-industry trade association for data management and analytics, has released its Asset Owners report, the third installment of its ESG Data Management research series. The research was conducted by EDM Council’s ESG Data Workgroup and explores the challenges that asset owners face in their role as capital allocators within the evolving ESG data landscape, while offering guidance on how institutions can address these obstacles.

As societal expectations change and ESG disclosure requirements mature, responsibilities are becoming increasingly complex for asset owners, such as corporate and public-sector pension plans, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, family offices and university endowments. In order for professional investment staff at these institutions to make sound decisions, they must have access to reliable, timely data and be fluent enough in the challenges that characterize the current ESG data landscape to weigh various inputs appropriately.

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With collaborative input from data professionals, ESG professionals and business leaders, this report aims to explain the insights that arise from tackling ESG data challenges, and to outline ESG data management best practices for asset owners. The report comprises three sections that cover 15 pertinent ESG issues, outlines the target state for each issue, and delivers recommendations specifically tailored to asset owners.

“ESG as a strategic opportunity for asset owners and their stakeholders is still very much in its nascent stages. As a result, many questions remain around the role of data and analytics and which parties are responsible for different parts of the ESG data management effort,” said John Bottega, President of the EDM Council. “Thanks to the diligent efforts of our growing ESG Workgroup, our latest ESG report offers clarity and guidance about how asset owners should address these challenges.”

EDM Council’s ESG research report for Asset Owners follows the first two reports released in EDM Council’s ESG Data Management research series. These earlier reports focused on Corporate Reporting Entities and Ratings Providers and Data Aggregators, respectively. A later paper will examine the key issues that affect the entire ESG data ecosystem.

For more information and to download the full EDM Council Asset Owners report, please visit here.

Source: EDM Council