CSR Europe Valuing non-financial performance

A European framework for company and investor dialogue Home Framework
Central proposition Market value Financial drivers Core non-financial drivers
Why these drivers? Key metrics ESG factors

The laboratory is supported by a parallel research programme funded by the European Academy for Business in Society through its corporate founding partners – IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Shell, and Unilever. Additional funding has also been provided by Lloyds TSB and Telecom Italia.

The Valuing Business research programme will review both current practice in Europe on valuing the strategies and actions businesses adopt in maximising the opportunities presented by environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and to suggest ways of encouraging more companies and more investors to incorporate ESG performance into how businesses are valued. A key concern of this research project is to identify how widely the link between ESG issues and long-term business performance is understood. The main objective is to share ideas and research in a collaborative, open-sourcing approach. It is an attempt to:

map what is happening;
create conversations about what more is needed;
suggest a framework for proposed metrics and strategies for companies and the investment community;
consider how communication of key areas of their strategies towards ESG factors can be improved, particularly through highlighting the link with financial performance.
Research methods employed include: interviews, action research, documentary analysis and focus group discussions. The Valuing Business research programme is co-ordinated by the Doughty Centre for Corporate Responsibility at the Cranfield School of Management. It involves academics from other leading European business schools including SDA Bocconi School of Management and Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School in Belgium; as well as CSR and investment community experts.

The following is the final research report and associated papers published at the EABIS Colloquium on 21 September 2009. The team would welcome feedback on them.