The global provider of data, technology, and market infrastructure Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) said it has expanded its environmental, social and governance (ESG) reference data platform to include granular data.
ICE’s ESG reference data service would now include coverage of companies in key indices that include the ICE U.S. 1000 Index – measuring the performance of the top 1,000 U.S. listed companies, representing some of the most well-known and largest capitalized companies in the world.
“Investors and market participants are continuing to see ESG data as a critical tool to better understand risks and opportunities in their investment analysis,” Savita Subramanian, head of ESG Research and U.S. Equity & Quantitative Strategy at BofA Global Research, said. “Over the next 12 to 18 months, we expect that more companies will begin disclosing greenhouse gas emissions data, diversity data, and other attributes in response to growing investor demand for more transparency. This will ultimately help market participants make better decisions about where to allocate their capital.”
ICE officials indicated data revealed 48 percent of domestic large-cap companies report carbon emissions; while 25 percent of companies in the ICE U.S. 1000 Index have indicated tackling addressing climate change is one of their company’s objectives; and 48 percent of large-cap companies have reported scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions, also known as direct emissions from owned or controlled sources.