Proxy advisory firms Glass Lewis and ISS this week announced a spate of new launches and updates to the way environmental, social and governance data and disclosures will be assessed and featured in reports to investors this year, and to the way high-level governance-quality scores will be calculated.

The updates precede a 2022 proxy season that promises to be rife with engagement and shareholder-submitted proposals on climate change risk and mitigation plans, diversity, inclusion and workforce oversight, coupled with acute pressure on boards to be directly accountable to investors for making progress on these issues.

Both ISS and Glass Lewis, with the announcements this week, are committing to assess the level and quality of reports companies are providing regarding specific aspects of ESG and climate disclosure after years in which companies have been warned that such quantitative assessments were forthcoming.

Agenda – Glass Lewis, ISS Push New ESG Scoring