CFA Institute has been driving the consideration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in financial analysis. ESG analysis has become an increasingly important part of the investment process. Investors are incorporating ESG data into the investment process to gain a fuller understanding of the companies in which they invest.

ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance. Investors are increasingly applying these non-financial factors as part of their analysis process to identify material risks and growth opportunities. ESG metrics are not commonly part of mandatory financial reporting, though companies are increasingly making disclosures in their annual report or in a standalone sustainability report. Numerous institutions, such as the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) are working to form standards and define materiality to facilitate incorporation of these factors into the investment process.

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