ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) has become more topical due to the criticality of achieving Net Zero by 2050 in the UK. Companies with clear ESG goals are accelerating growth at a faster rate than those lagging behind[1]. Identifying companies with ESG statements can be challenging and time-consuming.
During The Data City’s web scraping process, we identify websites with ESG statements by using keyword analysis on their subpages. This saves our users time attempting to find companies within a given search trying to find companies focused on being transparent about their ESG goals.
In this blog, we will outline how The Data City provides insights into ESG and the tools available to access and analyse this valuable data.
What is an ESG statement?
An ESG statement details how a company is committed to being transparent about their impact on the environment and society. This blog by PWC explains why these statements are important. These statements have become particularly prevalent since the UK government have pushed for an acceleration towards Net Zero. These statements hold companies accountable to commit towards positive changes towards how their company affects the world around them.
Why ESG statements matter
ESG statements help businesses identify and mitigate risks associated with ESG practices. This improves preparedness against reputational, regulatory, and operational risks, safeguarding long-term stability. Ultimately, this decreases risk and improves the resilience of a business to external factors thus improving their attractiveness to investors and stakeholders. The trust placed by the business’ consumers/customers increases and ultimately leads to being more compliant which enhances their reputation.
The Data City’s approach to ESG statements
Our platform ultimately enhances Companies House data by a variety of different methods including, most notably, matching a company to their website. The matching process builds a more comprehensive view of the UK business landscape. Our real-time data and advanced classification methods allow us to query our web-scraping data to find companies which have an internal link to an ESG statement.
We use keyword analysis to identify which sub-pages within a given website refer to an ESG statement. We make filtering easy and allow our users to combine it with our existing comprehensive data.
Key features for exploring ESG data
-
Filtering ESG by sector and location
The Data City platform allows users to narrow down ESG companies based on their industry, geographic location, and even funding history.
For example:
Cyber ESG focused companies in the UK: By filtering for Cyber companies in EXPLORE and ANALYSE and selecting the “Only include companies with ESG statements” tag, users can see which businesses have ESG statements on their website, along with detailed insights such as funding rounds and growth metrics.
Regional Focus: Identify ESG focused companies in specific areas like Oxford or Darlington to understand the innovation landscape in those regions.
-
Insights on company pages
Each company page provides details about whether a business includes an ESG statement and, in many cases, the hyperlink to see that page.
LIDL will display this information alongside its financial and operational data.
Real-world applications
Investors
Investors and financial institutions use ESG data to identify sustainable and ethical companies. By analysing these statements, they can assess risks, evaluate long-term performance potential, and make more informed decisions about ESG focused companies.
Policy Development
Central Government, local government and research bodies use ESG insights to develop policy aimed at promoting sustainable practices and economic growth. For example, mapping industries against ESG benchmarks can guide regional development and environmental planning.
Risk Management
A given company can use ESG data themselves to understand and mitigate risks related to climate change, societal shifts, or governance challenges. Effective use of ESG insights enables businesses to anticipate regulatory changes and stakeholder expectations, ensuring compliance and being more resilient.
Try it yourself
Navigating the ESG landscape is hard, but The Data City makes it easy. Ready to explore ESG data and unlock new insights? Sign up for a free trial today and see how The Data City can support your research and decision-making.
[1] https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/next-in-growth/how-do-esg-goals-impact-a-companys-growth-performance
