Asia-Pacific companies lagging on ESG

Less than 30% of companies in Asia-Pacific incorporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into their goals and key performance indicators, even though more than half of them claim the issue is critical to their long-term success, according to a recent survey.

The report by global consultancy Aon found the majority of firms in the region are still in the early stages of using ESG metrics and developing their ESG profile. The regulatory requirements are still evolving in most of the surveyed countries.

The survey, which was conducted in 2022, shows that public companies are twice as likely to have clearly defined ESG metrics and link them to corporate performance than privately held companies, with 50% of listed firms having a separate ESG function or team.

Simon Kennedy, partner and head of people solutions for Australia at Aon, said ESG targets…