ESG Checklist

Use an ESG checklist for your ESG assessments and to improve your ESG score and business standing.

people discussing their esg|ESG Checklist Template|ESG Checklist Template

ESG Checklist

This ESG checklist can be used by managers and investors from all industries to assess a company’s environmental, social, and governance impact. This ready-to-use template helps you with the following ESG checklist steps:

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ESG Checklist Template

Published 17 July 2024 Article by Roselin Manawis | 3 min read

What is an ESG Checklist?

An ESG checklist is meant to help assess a company’s sustainability by checking its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices and regulations. Also known as an ESG due diligence checklist or ESG compliance checklist, this checklist can be used by Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) managers, fund managers, investors, and anyone who wants to assess a company’s leadership and general management.

ESG Checklist Template

Importance

As the definition of what is considered fair and ethical may differ per situation, having ESG criteria can help put things into perspective. This set of criteria is thus the standards for a company’s behavior and actions and can help socially conscious managers and investors to screen potential investments and other opportunities.

Having an ESG checklist is essential in performing an ESG assessment . Performing an ESG assessment is an important part of improving ESG policies and practices, as it gives an idea of what actions are beneficial to the company and what isn’t.

ESG criteria also encourage employees to act more responsibly and consciously of their environment . Having a checklist will not only remind them of it but also encourage them to report any problems they may encounter during their assessment. A digital checklist, in particular, is beneficial as it can be used anywhere on the go.

An ESG checklist can also serve as an official document. Managers and investors can use a digital templated ESG checklist or create one themselves, store it in a cloud, and easily access it later for further discussions on a company’s ESG practices.

How to Make Your Own ESG Checklist

Each ESG checklist will be different based on the standards set by a company and their respective values. However, generally, an ESG checklist aims to analyze a company’s environmental impact, social responsibility, and the status of its governance or leadership.

Ideally, there will be a section for each aspect of ESG, along with guide questions or points of consideration to help the manager or investor assess the company.

For the environmental factor, managers and investors observe the company’s impact on its environment. Is the company:

Similarly, the social factor is related to the company’s environment. Specifically, this factor aims to analyze the company’s relationship with its employees and others in society. Is the company:

The governance factor pertains to the system of leadership and management in the company. Is the company:

FAQs about ESG checklists

How do you do an ESG assessment?

An ESG assessment usually involves group discussions between employees and their leaders or managers. People in mid-level and high-level positions are often the leaders of ESG assessment initiatives. Together, they discuss deficiencies, improvements, and their impact as a company.

Are ESG reports mandatory?

ESG reports and disclosure are not mandatory worldwide but are encouraged for recordkeeping and transparency purposes. Some countries that require them are:

What is the difference between ESG and CSR?

ESG can be considered part of CSR, as CSR focuses on general internal and external corporate social responsibility. However, CSR focuses on addressing more qualitative and societal issues. On the other hand, ESG can be considered the quantifiable measure of a company’s sustainability and corporate social responsibility. ESG is more data-driven and more business-centric, appealing more to management and investors.

SafetyCulture for ESG Assessment

Business owners and managers can improve their ESG standings with SafetyCulture . SafetyCulture is a digital audit tool available on iOS, Android, and the web that ESG auditors, company managers, and investors can use for managing ESG standards and compliance.

Use SafetyCulture to make checklists that are suited to your needs and standards. Program your checklist with different response sets, scoring systems, and flagged items as you see fit and apply it across different items on your document. You can also download a templated checklist from the Public Library to get started, then just edit it as needed. Alternatively, you can convert your existing Word, Excel, or PowerPoint ESG checklist for SafetyCulture use.

After completing your ESG audits or assessments, you can store your completed checklists in the cloud and share them with others. The only ones who can access your checklists are those you authorize, ensuring privacy and security. Organize them after and use them as official documents for reference and recordkeeping use, either by exporting them as weblinks or as Word or PDF files.

Aside from documentation, inspection, and organization, SafetyCulture can also help with ESG assessments through the following features: