Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors are becoming central to business strategy rather than being a sideline issue. In Episode 102 of Mission Shunya, we continue our three-part ESG series with Tomoo Machiba from Zeroboard.
We explore how companies practically implement ESG, where the gaps lie between ambition and execution, the importance of credible data practices, and how transparency with ESG metrics builds trust with stakeholders.
📌 If you’re new to ESG, you might also want to read: Understanding ESG: Essential Insights for a Sustainable Future
Listen to Episode 102
Key Topics Covered
- What ESG means in practice: beyond disclosure, into operations
- The importance of selecting meaningful, measurable ESG metrics under the evolving landscapes
- ESG standardisation vs. varied local/regional expectations (Europe vs. Asia vs. America)
- How companies can avoid green-washing and ensure credibility
- Practical takeaways: starting small, scaling up, engaging stakeholders using technology
🌍 Global ESG Market and Growth
- In 2023, the global ESG investing market size was estimated at USD 25.10 trillion, and is projected to grow to USD 79.71 trillion by 2030, with a CAGR (2024-2030) of ~18.8%.
- Another projection sees the ESG investing market rising from about USD 35.48 trillion in 2025 to USD 167.49 trillion by 2034.
The entire space of ESG accounting and ESG monitoring is little more difficult because different standards are coming up.
📚 Key ESG Reporting Frameworks & Standards
It helps to know which frameworks are often referenced or used in ESG reporting. Some of the common ones:
| Framework / Standard | What it focuses on / Best Suited for |
|---|---|
| GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) | Stakeholder-focused, broad disclosure across many ESG topics. Good for companies wanting comprehensive, transparent reporting. |
| SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board) | More financial/material-oriented; focuses on metrics relevant to investors. |
| TCFD (Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures) | Focuses on climate-related risks/opportunities and how they affect strategy, risk management, governance. Increasingly required by regulators. |
| CDP, CSRD / ESRS | Especially regulatory in certain regions (EU, etc.), or used for environmental performance / climate-reporting bench-marking. |
Challenges & Opportunities
- Many companies struggle with ESG readiness: implementing systems, choosing which metrics are material, ensuring credible data collection and reporting.
- Regulatory pressure is rising. For example, in the EU, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is expanding the number of entities required to report.
- Investors are becoming more critical of green-washing. The variety of ESG standards + voluntary nature in many geographies makes comparability hard. Having credible, verifiable ESG practices is a differentiator.
With global ESG assets growing into the tens of trillions of dollars, and regulatory regimes tightening, businesses are under pressure not just to promise, but to deliver. The way a company handles ESG reporting — its metrics, its frameworks, its level of transparency — can affect everything from investor confidence to brand reputation to access to capital.
For instance:
- Companies using robust standards (like GRI, SASB, TCFD) tend to be better positioned for regulatory compliance and investor scrutiny.
- Transparent reporting even of imperfect data tends to build trust more than vague or polished statements with no backing.
- Small and medium-enterprises (SMEs) often have resource constraints but can still gain a competitive edge by starting small, focusing on material metrics, engaging stakeholders.
Zeroboard aims to solve all of this with the help of technology.
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