Sustainability Command Center 14 items
ESG Ratings Preparation Checklist (MSCI & Sustainalytics)
Prepare for and improve outcomes in major ESG rating assessments by aligning disclosures, data availability, and controversy management.
MSCI ESG RatingsSustainalytics ESG Risk Ratings
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Baseline & Methodology
- Have current ESG ratings and scores from MSCI and Sustainalytics been obtained and reviewed? *
- Are the key issues and material weightings applied to the company's sub-industry understood? *
- Is the distinction between management-based and exposure-based scoring understood? *
- Have peer benchmarks and the ratings gap to leaders been analyzed? *
Data & Disclosure Readiness
- Are policies, programs, and quantitative metrics for each material ESG issue publicly disclosed? *
- Is disclosure aligned with frameworks the raters map to (GRI, SASB, TCFD)? *
- Are data points machine-readable and easy to locate in reporting and on the website? *
- Are targets time-bound, quantified, and progress reported? *
Controversy & Risk Management
- Are ESG controversies flagged by raters monitored and addressed? *
- Is there a process to respond to and remediate incidents affecting ratings? *
- Are governance red flags (board independence, business ethics) reviewed and mitigated? *
Engagement & Monitoring
- Is there a process to review and correct rater data via feedback or verification portals? *
- Is ownership for managing ESG ratings assigned within the organization? *
- Are ratings changes monitored and reported to leadership on a defined cadence? *
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