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Lately, three letters have been blooming everywhere whenever conversation revolves around sustainability reporting: ‘ESG’. The concept of ESG first appeared in 2001, as such, the topic is not new, prescient concepts such as social, ethical, or environmental issues (SSE), or socially responsible investment (SRI) were already reported by different industries and businesses in the preceding decades. The letters alone might not mean much, but together they represent an entity’s behavior on environmental issues, its engagement with society, and the strength of its governance.

The emphasis in ESG reporting is usually on the ‘E’. The ‘G’ is also getting some attention with transparency and diversity also becoming focal points on boardroom agendas. However, post-pandemic the future of ESG reporting must lie with the ‘S’ and particularly with stakeholder engagement.

By elevating ‘S’ on the ESG agenda, we might just get close to squaring the circle through the adoption of a more holistic understanding of “value”. Embracing a longer-term time horizon and broadening the scope of metrics used to measure success would alleviate concerns associated with pressures organisations face for short-term returns. The real challenge is to find the right balance between harmonising social reporting requirements alongside the flexibility needed to effectively address local needs.