Responsible investment benchmarks and information asymmetry in the ESG segment

A significant problem in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (hereinafter referred to as the SDGs) is insufficient financial support. The size of the investment gap before the pandemic, according to UN estimates, was $3.3-$4.5 trillion per year. The pandemic has significantly exacerbated the...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: O. Plastun, A. Lasukova, A. Artemenko, Y. Puhovkina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: V.N. Karazin Kharkov National University 2023-12-01
Series:Вісник Харківського національного університету імені В.Н. Каразіна: Серія Економіка
Subjects:
Online Access:https://periodicals.karazin.ua/economy/article/view/23002
_version_ 1827312762539212800
author O. Plastun
A. Lasukova
A. Artemenko
Y. Puhovkina
author_facet O. Plastun
A. Lasukova
A. Artemenko
Y. Puhovkina
author_sort O. Plastun
collection DOAJ
description A significant problem in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (hereinafter referred to as the SDGs) is insufficient financial support. The size of the investment gap before the pandemic, according to UN estimates, was $3.3-$4.5 trillion per year. The pandemic has significantly exacerbated the already difficult situation with financing, and has also set back humanity in achieving a number of the SDGs. The list of potential sources of offsetting the financial gap includes new taxes on the wealthy and pollution, debt relief for low- and middle-income countries, elimination of tax loopholes, redirection of subsidies from environmentally destructive activities, etc. However, a more market-oriented and gentle solution to the problem, both globally and at the level of individual countries, is the use of responsible investment tools. After all, ESG indicators are taken into account by investors and financial institutions when making investment and lending decisions, as well as by counterparties and suppliers in the course of commercial activities. ESG indicators are information about the environmental, social and governance factors of a company that are key to measuring the sustainability and ethical impact of investments in a company and business. The successful implementation of responsible investment is hampered by the existence of information asymmetry, for example, in the form of ESG mimicry. It means the use of various techniques that indicate the company's involvement in ESG, which is not really true. The goal of this article is to analyze effective methods for reducing information asymmetry in the ESG segment. It is proved that the use of responsible investment benchmarks in the form of ESG ratings can reduce the level of information asymmetry and increase the efficiency of responsible investment. In addition, the paper proposes a five-phase process for creating an ESG rating, which summarizes the experience of the best international practices and allows for more relevant assessments of companies' ESG efforts.
first_indexed 2024-04-24T21:49:45Z
format Article
id doaj.art-1f629f7c2d5a45228b06cdf85cc9ad27
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2311-2379
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-24T21:49:45Z
publishDate 2023-12-01
publisher V.N. Karazin Kharkov National University
record_format Article
series Вісник Харківського національного університету імені В.Н. Каразіна: Серія Економіка
spelling doaj.art-1f629f7c2d5a45228b06cdf85cc9ad272024-03-20T14:27:20ZengV.N. Karazin Kharkov National UniversityВісник Харківського національного університету імені В.Н. Каразіна: Серія Економіка2311-23792023-12-01105778310.26565/2311-2379-2023-105-0823002Responsible investment benchmarks and information asymmetry in the ESG segmentO. Plastun0A. Lasukova1A. Artemenko2Y. Puhovkina3Sumy State University Sumy State UniversitySumy State UniversitySumy State UniversityA significant problem in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (hereinafter referred to as the SDGs) is insufficient financial support. The size of the investment gap before the pandemic, according to UN estimates, was $3.3-$4.5 trillion per year. The pandemic has significantly exacerbated the already difficult situation with financing, and has also set back humanity in achieving a number of the SDGs. The list of potential sources of offsetting the financial gap includes new taxes on the wealthy and pollution, debt relief for low- and middle-income countries, elimination of tax loopholes, redirection of subsidies from environmentally destructive activities, etc. However, a more market-oriented and gentle solution to the problem, both globally and at the level of individual countries, is the use of responsible investment tools. After all, ESG indicators are taken into account by investors and financial institutions when making investment and lending decisions, as well as by counterparties and suppliers in the course of commercial activities. ESG indicators are information about the environmental, social and governance factors of a company that are key to measuring the sustainability and ethical impact of investments in a company and business. The successful implementation of responsible investment is hampered by the existence of information asymmetry, for example, in the form of ESG mimicry. It means the use of various techniques that indicate the company's involvement in ESG, which is not really true. The goal of this article is to analyze effective methods for reducing information asymmetry in the ESG segment. It is proved that the use of responsible investment benchmarks in the form of ESG ratings can reduce the level of information asymmetry and increase the efficiency of responsible investment. In addition, the paper proposes a five-phase process for creating an ESG rating, which summarizes the experience of the best international practices and allows for more relevant assessments of companies' ESG efforts.https://periodicals.karazin.ua/economy/article/view/23002sustainable development goalsresponsible investmentinformation asymmetry in the esg segmenttransparency reportesg ratings
spellingShingle O. Plastun
A. Lasukova
A. Artemenko
Y. Puhovkina
Responsible investment benchmarks and information asymmetry in the ESG segment
Вісник Харківського національного університету імені В.Н. Каразіна: Серія Економіка
sustainable development goals
responsible investment
information asymmetry in the esg segment
transparency report
esg ratings
title Responsible investment benchmarks and information asymmetry in the ESG segment
title_full Responsible investment benchmarks and information asymmetry in the ESG segment
title_fullStr Responsible investment benchmarks and information asymmetry in the ESG segment
title_full_unstemmed Responsible investment benchmarks and information asymmetry in the ESG segment
title_short Responsible investment benchmarks and information asymmetry in the ESG segment
title_sort responsible investment benchmarks and information asymmetry in the esg segment
topic sustainable development goals
responsible investment
information asymmetry in the esg segment
transparency report
esg ratings
url https://periodicals.karazin.ua/economy/article/view/23002
work_keys_str_mv AT oplastun responsibleinvestmentbenchmarksandinformationasymmetryintheesgsegment
AT alasukova responsibleinvestmentbenchmarksandinformationasymmetryintheesgsegment
AT aartemenko responsibleinvestmentbenchmarksandinformationasymmetryintheesgsegment
AT ypuhovkina responsibleinvestmentbenchmarksandinformationasymmetryintheesgsegment