The Importance of ESG: The View from Europe

The issues surrounding environmental, social and governance (ESG) have been part of mainstream business in Germany and elsewhere in Europe for quite some time now, so it is an area in which Osborne Clarke has a lot of knowledge and experience in. An increasing number of US companies are placing an emphasis on addressing ESG issues, particularly as these factors play an important role in the evaluation of investments, suppliers and corporate performance across the globe. While some companies are responding to mandatory corporate reporting obligations, others (including many private companies) are starting to embrace ESG voluntarily and proactively – promoting it as part of their sales messaging.  In addition, further support of this trend in ESG will likely continue to evolve as the new administration in D.C. has already begun to convey a different sentiment around these important topics. In this month’s article ESG | A view from Europe, Osborne Clarke experts Caroline Saul, Katie Vickery, and Chris Wrigley discuss the reasons why ESG is increasingly important, and no longer just a nice to have.