Who will regulate ESG?

Click on the different colored bars to view details of each regulation. Click on the "regulators" button to sort by the type of regulatory agency; click on the "regulated" box to sort by affected party, either issuers or investors.

Source: Regulations database has been compiled using numerous sources, e.g. US Federal Register, Publications Office of EU, ILO etc. Please contact MSCI ESG Research for more details.

Environmental, social and governance regulations have been around since the early 1900s, long before the term “ESG” itself existed. In the past decade, the number of regulations — particularly those promulgated by government agencies — have soared. Using our interactive chart, we see that government agencies were responsible for over 90% of the new regulations in 2019 and that the number of ESG regulations that apply to investors have risen sharply. The most common focal points of the new regulations were for companies and investors to better understand and meet the challenges created by the climate crisis, to promote and incorporate more alternative energy, and to enhance transparency around corporate governance. You can use the above chart to explore these regulations and to gain insight into what might be required of both investors and issuers in years to come.