Sustainability in the Spotlight: Board ESG Oversight and Strategy

Diligent Institute and Spencer Stuart surveyed nearly 600 board members on their organizations’ ESG practices and strategy in this inaugural report.

Key Findings

Spencer Stuart and Diligent Institute sought to learn more about how boards are structuring oversight of ESG issues and how they are preparing directors to fulfill their responsibilities as they evolve and expand.

43%

oversee ESG issues at the full board level                       

33%

are rethinking ESG structures and strategy                  

34%

discuss ESG issues at nearly every board meeting 

38%

 are engaging in upskilling around ESG issues 

ESG & DEI

How are boards overseeing ESG practices and strategy?

We surveyed 590 corporate directors to get their insights on how boards are addressing ESG, how they’ve adjusted to address ESG topics, and what they are doing to increase their overall board competency around ESG.

Sustainability in the Spotlight: Board ESG Oversight and Strategy report

How has the pandemic impacted discussions around ESG? 

Only 4% of boards rarely or never discuss ESG issues, compared to 20% before the pandemic.

How are boards integrating ESG into other aspects of the business?

Over 90% of directors indicated their board were incorporating some type of ESG metric into a core business area. 

What are companies’ ESG strategies?

71% of respondents indicated that their organization is incorporating ESG metrics into overall company strategy. 

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