Corporate Governance Research & Ratings

Uncover corporate governance risks and opportunities

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Strong oversight and accountability are crucial to the management of material ESG issues as well as a company’s ability to execute its long-term business strategy. Sustainalytics flagged corporate governance concerns at both Volkswagen and Fiat months before the respective emissions scandals broke.  

Sustainalytics’ Corporate Governance Research & Ratings enable investors to better assess portfolio companies’ corporate governance structures, practices and behaviors. These qualities have long been embraced by investors as potential sources of investment risk and, more recently, opportunity.  

Our Corporate Governance Research & Ratings also form the baseline assessment for our ESG Risk Ratings.

Latest Newsletters

governance in brief

Governance in Brief – May 25, 2023

May 25, 2023  |  Newsletter
governance in brief

Governance in Brief – May 19, 2023

May 19, 2023  |  Newsletter
governance in brief

Governance in Brief – May 11, 2023

May 11, 2023  |  Newsletter

Key Features & Benefits

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Better understand companies’ corporate governance systems and practices and the potential risks and opportunities they pose to long-term value creation.

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Leverage insights from our independent analyses to inform your investment decisions as well as proxy voting and engagement activities. 

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Benchmark companies’ corporate governance performance on a variety of metrics to identify strengths as well as potential red flags. 

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Speak directly to our in-house team of subject matter experts.

Coverage

~4,200 COMPANIES 

Global coverage of major indexes

Corporate Governance Reports

Data-driven contextual reports that provide corporate governance ratings and information on a global universe of approximately 4,200 companies. We assess a company’s corporate governance structures, practices and behaviors along six pillars that are deemed crucial for good governance: Board Integrity & Quality, Board Structure, Remuneration, Shareholder Rights, Financial Reporting and Stakeholder Governance. Select reports also include an analyst view and outlook for the company.

Corporate governance Report

Governance in Brief Newsletter

Sign up to our weekly Governance in Brief newsletter for an analysis of the latest weekly developments. To view previous issues here.

Corporate Governance Pillars

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Board & Management Quality and Integrity 

Do the board’s experience, track record and behavior sufficiently demonstrate its ability to provide strategic leadership and oversight? 

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Board Structure

Do the organization and structure of the board provide sufficient oversight, representation and accountability to shareholders?

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Ownership and Shareholder Rights

Do the constitution of the company and its ownership structures respect the right of outside shareholders relative to the board, management, and major holders?

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Remuneration

Do the company’s remuneration policies and practices provide appropriate incentives for management to build value?

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Audit & Financial Reporting 

Are the company’s financial reports reliable and subject to appropriate oversight?

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Stakeholder Governance

Does the company’s management of extra financial risks and broader stakeholder relationships raise concerns regarding its governance of long-term value creation?

Delivery Options

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Global Access

Access our research through our user-friendly investor interface with easy to use screening and reporting tools. You can also access onscreen & PDF reports

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Data Services Regular data feed (SFTP/FTP) or API

Access our research through an internal or a third-party system of your choice: Bloomberg, Factset and Markit

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Why Sustainalytics?

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A Single Market Standard

Consistent approach to ESG assessments across the investment spectrum.

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Award-Winning Research and Data

Firm recognized as Best ESG Research and Data Provider by Environmental Finance and Investment Week.

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End-to-End ESG Solutions

ESG products and services that serve the entire investment value chain.

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30 Years of ESG Expertise

800+ ESG research analysts across our global offices.

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A Leading SPO Provider

As recognized by Environmental Finance and the Climate Bonds Initiative.

Related Insights and Resources

governance in brief

Governance in Brief – May 25, 2023

Activist investor pushes for leadership and strategy changes at NRG Energy Activist investor Elliott Investment Management has disclosed a 13% stake in the US-based NRG Energy and called for leadership and operational changes at the company to remedy its “meaningful underperformance.” The investor urged NRG to add independent directors with experience in the power and energy sector to its board, noting that it has already identified five executives to guide the operational and strategic changes.

governance in brief

Governance in Brief – May 19, 2023

EU court sides with Ryanair on Lufthansa’s 2020 bailout. The EU General Court, the second-highest court in the EU, has annulled the European Commission’s decision on the approval of state bailout for Deutsche Lufthansa prompted by the 2020 pandemic. The judgment found the EC erroneously considered that Lufthansa could not obtain financing on the markets and failed to ask for the implementation of an incentive mechanism for the airline to buy back the German Government’s stake.

governance in brief

Governance in Brief – May 11, 2023

JPMorgan Chase takes over failed First Republic Bank JPMorgan Chase has acquired the assets and deposits of First Republic Bank after California authorities seized and auctioned the troubled lender. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), an independent governmental agency established to maintain financial stability through the insurance of banks’ deposits, took possession of First Republic Bank after the lender suffered a severe liquidity crisis following the failure of SVB and Signature Bank earlier in March.

governance in brief

Governance in Brief – May 4, 2023

TotalEnergies sells Canadian oil sands operations to Suncor TotalEnergies has announced that it will sell its Canadian operations to Suncor Energy, in an agreement worth up to CAD 6.1 billion (USD 4.47 billion). The French energy giant had originally planned to exit Canadian oil sands by spinning off TotalEnergies EP Canada, but later agreed to instead sell the operations after having received unsolicited offers from both Suncor and other parties.

Related Products

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ESG Voting Policy Overlay

Receive voting recommendations based on sustainability principles, ESG research and engagement signals. 

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Thematic Engagement

Our Thematic Engagement program includes several corporate governance related engagement themes. 

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ESG Risk Ratings

Take a coherent and consistent approach to assessing financially material ESG risks.

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