MSCI ESG Ratings of over 2,800 companies are now publicly available

Decision to make the MSCI ESG Ratings public is part of a campaign to drive greater transparency in ESG globally

In recognition of growing momentum and interest from a diverse range of stakeholders in ESG investing, MSCI ESG Research LLC has made its MSCI ESG Ratings publicly available. This move is part of MSCI ESG Research’s mission to help investors, companies and other industry stakeholders identify the most financially relevant ESG risks and opportunities, through greater transparency and access to dynamic ESG data and insights.

From November 26, the MSCI ESG Ratings of over 2,800 companies in the MSCI ACWI Index will be accessible via a search tool available on msci.com. MSCI ESG Research plans to make the MSCI ESG Ratings for 7,500 constituents of MSCI ACWI Investable Markets Index available in 2020. 

MSCI ESG Research rates companies on a “AAA to CCC” scale according to their exposure to ESG risks and how well they manage those risks relative to peers. The MSCI ESG Ratings are constructed using 1,000 data points from company disclosures and alternative data sets, across 37 key ESG issues that are reviewed weekly. MSCI leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning, alongside a 200+ strong team to monitor and update companies on an ongoing basis and deliver relevant ESG insights.

Using the tool, users will be able to view each company’s ESG rating, ESG rating history, benchmark against peers and key ESG-related issues affecting individual companies. 

Remy Briand, head of ESG at MSCI, says: “ESG is increasingly being viewed by global investors as a critical factor for building better portfolios.

“The decision to make the MSCI ESG Ratings publicly available is part of a campaign to drive greater transparency in ESG and follows the launch of the MSCI ESG Fund Ratings in July. We want to encourage open discussion among investors and companies on how to improve sustainability across the board and hope that making the MSCI ESG Ratings available to all will facilitate these discussions.”

MSCI ESG Research is also introducing a batch reporting service, which is designed to make its clients’ regular reporting to their clients easier, more comprehensive and frequent.