SASB Issues Engagement Guidance for Investors

SAN FRANCISCO, July 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), a 501c3 non-profit organization that develops sustainability accounting standards for use by corporations, today issued guidance to assist asset owners and asset managers in using SASB standards in corporate engagement.

The SASB Engagement Guide provides industry-by-industry guidance on how asset owners and asset managers can use the SASB standards to inform and enhance their engagement with companies. SASB standards identify the sustainability issues most likely to impact financial performance of companies in 79 industries. For every industry, the Guide poses questions investors can ask to facilitate a more complete and robust assessment of long term risks and value creation.

"Sustainability issues can impact financial performance in specific ways that vary by topic and industry," says Janine Guillot, Director of Capital Markets Policy & Outreach at SASB.

"Investors can use the SASB Engagement Guide to identify which sustainability issues are likely to be material to which industries, and ask the questions that will help evaluate and compare performance in the context of industry characteristics and value drivers."

"Engagement focused on understanding the different approaches companies within a sector are taking to manage ESG risks and opportunities helps investors assess the relative strengths of individual companies, boards, and management teams. It can also help assess the overall risk-return profile of their portfolios," says Michelle Edkins, Global Head of Investment Stewardship at BlackRock, in her foreword to the guide.

"The SASB Engagement Guide is a valuable resource for asset owners and asset managers who are integrating environmental, social, and governance factors into investment decision-making," says Dr. Jean Rogers. "The guide is designed to help focus conversations on sustainability related trends and uncertainties likely to affect the financial condition or operating performance of a company that are therefore of interest to investors in investment and voting decisions."   

About SASB

The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board™ (SASB)™ is an independent 501(c)3 organization that issues industry-specific standards for use in disclosing material sustainability information in filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP, and Mary Schapiro, former SEC chairman, serve as chair and vice chair of SASB's Board of Directors, and Dr. Jean Rogers serves as Founder and CEO. More than 2,800 individuals affiliated with $23.4T assets under management and $11T market capital participated in multi-stakeholder industry working groups informing standards development. For more information about SASB, visit www.sasb.org, or follow us on YouTube, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts:

Amanda Medress
Director of Communications
SASB
[email protected]
+1 415 830-9220 ext. 106

SOURCE Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)

Related Links

http://www.sasb.org