ESG Risk Ratings vs ESG Impact Ratings

With the emergence of regulations such as the EU Taxonomy, CSRD, and SFDR, the concept of impact materiality has proliferated in the market, marking an increased scrutiny on the comprehensiveness of ESG risk ratings. In this context, there has been increased interest in impact ratings leading investors to question, what really is the difference between ESG risk and ESG impact ratings?

Overview of Risk vs Impact
ESG risk ratings primarily assess how well a company manages its exposure to ESG-related risks that could potentially affect its financial performance. These ratings focus on the materiality of ESG factors to the specific industry and company, evaluating how effectively the organization mitigates these risks.

In contrast, ESG impact ratings measure the actual effect a company’s operations have on environmental and social outcomes, regardless of the financial implications for the company itself. These ratings attempt to quantify a company’s positive or negative contributions to issues such as climate change, biodiversity, human rights, or community development.

In terms used by global sustainability regulations, ESG risk ratings focus on financial materiality while impact ratings focus on impact materiality.