Pearl Meyer

In the United States, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues have become a priority, especially for the largest public companies. In a 2017 survey, “Pearl Meyer Quick Poll: ESG and its Potential Link to Incentives,” 60 percent of companies surveyed report that ESG issues are a top concern and of those, 34 percent indicated that ESG issues are firmly entrenched in their companies. From an external reporting perspective, the Governance and Accountability Institute, a consulting and research firm focused on sustainability issues, says that in 2015, 81 percent of the S&P 500 published corporate reports on their ESG positions, up from just 20 percent four years prior. While not driven by disclosure regulation, the topic is receiving attention largely due to a combination of investor, employee, and customer interest.