Business Wire

IA-WORKIVA

25.5.2021 09:02:09 CEST | Business Wire | Press release

Share
The Power of Transparency: Individual Investors Demand ESG Data They Can Trust

Workiva Inc. (NYSE:WK) today released findings from a survey of individual investors that reveal approximately 70% of respondents believe organizations have a responsibility to demonstrate ESG performance to investors, with Gen Z and younger Millennial-aged investors (18-34 year-olds) the most demanding around ESG credentials. The survey revealed transparency around ESG disclosures is becoming integral to investor decisions, and companies will undoubtedly experience increased pressure from investors to be able to report on their progress.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210525005313/en/

“Our survey findings represent a powerful motivation for organizations to take a serious look at how they are reporting ESG and other non-financial data,” said Julie Iskow, chief operating officer of Workiva. “We believe there is a real competitive advantage in attracting today’s modern investors with a commitment to corporate transparency.”

Top Survey Trends:

Younger Investors Know What They Want . Awareness around ESG is especially high within the younger generation, with 84% being aware of ESG, and of this group nearly two-thirds (64%) claiming to know a lot about it.

  • ESG awareness was found to be most prevalent in Germany with 93% of investors under 34 years old noting they were already aware of ESG in investments.
  • In the United States 65% of Gen Z and Millennials state ESG in companies has become more important over the last year and will continue to become more important (69%) due to climate change.
  • Also, most pronounced in the U.S., 72% of 18–34 year-olds want to know whether a company lives up to their social and moral beliefs before they invest.

Difficulty in Trusting Data. When asked if they found it difficult to trust what companies are disclosing about what they’re doing for the environment and society, only 15% of respondents disagreed.

  • In addition, over 60% of respondents across all regions stated they find it difficult to judge whether companies are doing the right thing when it comes to the environment and society.

Data is the Key. Over one-third of survey respondents (43%) in all markets noted they trust ESG performance more when reported through numbers and data than qualitative descriptions — this increased to 54% for 18-34 year-olds.

  • 72% of individual investors believe that companies should make it easier for them to judge ESG efforts through data.
  • More than half of all individual investors surveyed expressed that they would be more likely to invest in a company that demonstrates its ESG performance. This sentiment increased to 60% for Gen Z and Millennial-aged investors across all regions.

This survey of individual investors comes on the heels of large institutional investors and asset managers extolling the benefits of integrating ESG metrics as a key factor in building their investment portfolios, as well as trends in new regulations requiring non-financial reporting.

“The survey indicates that investors want to see earnings growth, deeper data transparency and progress in all areas of ESG. This will require a technology solution that can deliver accuracy and simplify the complex process of collecting and reporting non-financial data; Workiva is revolutionizing how companies approach ESG reporting with a solution that does just that,” added Iskow.

Workiva's cloud-based platform creates a connected and controlled ecosystem that streamlines the integration of financial and non-financial information. ESG and finance teams can collect, assemble and report data on one secure platform, allowing businesses to keep pace with the rapidly growing demand for trusted, transparent data and proof of ESG forward-looking business goals.

Check out the ESG Survey results or learn more about Workiva’s purpose-built ESG reporting solution .

About the Survey

Workiva commissioned a survey to better understand the current sentiment of individual investors (who have grown in importance and activity1 ) on the transparency and faith in ESG performance and reporting data. The survey findings cover individual investors from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France. Read our Fact Sheet for methodology and specific question responses.

1. Individual investors made up an estimated 19.5% of U.S. equity trading volume according to Bloomberg Intelligence, a jump of over 4% compared to 2019.

About Workiva

Workiva Inc. (NYSE: WK) simplifies complex work for thousands of organizations worldwide. Customers trust Workiva’s open, intelligent and intuitive platform to connect data, documents and teams. The results: improved efficiency, greater transparency and less risk. Learn more at workiva.com.

Request a Workiva demo: www.workiva.com/request-demo
Read the Workiva blog: www.workiva.com/blog
Follow Workiva on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/workiva
Like Workiva on Facebook: www.facebook.com/workiva/
Follow Workiva on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Workiva
Follow Workiva on Instagram: www.instagram.com/workivalife

Link:

ClickThru

Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/workiva/

About Business Wire

Business Wire
Business Wire
101 California Street, 20th Floor
CA 94111 San Francisco

http://businesswire.com

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Accertify and Liminal Release First Empirical Study Proving Fraud-Cyber Convergence Works - and Defining How to Do It Right22.7.2026 13:00:00 CEST | Press release

New research across 250 senior leaders identifies four organizational behaviors associated with a 3.4x performance advantage over siloed organizations Accertify, a leading fraud decisioning provider whose Predictive Yes Platform enables merchants to say yes to more good customers, more revenue, and more growth, today released The Convergence Dividend: Quantifying What Fraud-Cyber Convergence Actually Delivers, a landmark proprietary study conducted in partnership with Liminal. The research - spanning 250 Director-level and above fraud, risk, and security leaders across Retail/eCommerce, Travel, Restaurants/QSR, Entertainment & Media, and Marketplaces - is the first large-scale empirical proof that fraud-cyber convergence produces better business outcomes, and the first to identify the specific behaviors that separate top-performing organizations from the rest. While fraud-cyber convergence is a nearly unanimous (94%) recognized priority by respondents, the research found that many orga

New Visa Data Reveals How the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Created Pop-Up Economies Across Canada, Mexico and the United States22.7.2026 13:00:00 CEST | Press release

New Visa data reveals the FIFA World Cup 26™ drove a nearly 20% surge in cross-border transactions across host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States. After the final whistle blew on the FIFA World Cup 2026™, millions of fans returned home with unforgettable memories and a trail of economic activity that stretched across countries. Every tap to pay left a lasting impact, as spending throughout the tournament delivered a meaningful boost to merchants and local economies across host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States. According to new data from Visa, the tournament drove significant growth in cross-border spending, international travel, and digital commerce across host cities. The findings show how a major global event creates “pop-up economies,” defined by Visa as temporary, highly concentrated periods of commercial activity that emerge around major cultural, entertainment and sporting events. The data reveals that fans traveled from around the world to follow their

NIQ and Circle K Expand Global Analytics Collaboration Across More Than 12 Countries22.7.2026 12:00:00 CEST | Press release

Expanded agreement enables Circle K’s Business Units to accelerate smarter merchandising, pricing, and operational decisions across North America and Europe NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a leading consumer intelligence company, and Circle K today announced a multi-year global agreement spanning more than 12 countries across North America and Europe. The collaboration brings together NIQ’s global scale, AI-powered analytics, and deep local market intelligence to help Circle K transform decision-making, accelerate growth, and deliver best-in-class customer experiences across its expanding global footprint. In an increasingly competitive and fast-changing retail landscape, the collaboration enables Circle K to stay ahead of evolving consumer demand, optimize performance, and unlock new growth opportunities across markets. Through NIQ’s AI-driven insights and decisioning platforms, Circle K’s Business Units and Global Center of Excellence will accelerate smarter merchandising, pricing, and operat

Japan's Cross-Border E-Commerce "WAFUU.COM" Unveils Official Mascot Character "Mochi"22.7.2026 10:00:00 CEST | Press release

A tiny happiness from Japan — WAFUU.COM introduces its new official character, Mochi, bringing more joy to fans around the world discovering Japanese products. QRESTIA Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya, Tokyo; President & CEO: Hidemasa Fukada) is pleased to announce that WAFUU.COM, its cross-border e-commerce site, has unveiled its new official mascot character, Mochi. Mochi will represent WAFUU.COM's warmth and friendliness across its website, social media, campaigns, package inserts, and other creative materials, connecting with fans everywhere. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260721435469/en/ Mochi, WAFUU.COM's new official mascot character, embodies "A tiny happiness from Japan." (Photo: WAFUU.COM) The debut video is now live on Mochi's official website: https://mochi.wafuu.com/ 1. About Mochi Mochi was born to embody the simple joy of choosing Japanese products. Its soft, rounded silhouette, gentle expression,

New NEURA Gym with RWTH Aachen: NEURA Robotics Expands its Global Training Network for Physical AI22.7.2026 09:10:00 CEST | Press release

NEURA Gym RWTH Aachen to open by end of 2026Ten NEURA Gyms under development, five operational by end of 2026 across Europe, the United States and ChinaIndustry partners gain access to the world’s first open infrastructure for training and deploying Physical AI NEURA Robotics ("NEURA"), the pioneer in cognitive robotics and creator of the Neuraverse, today announces a new partnership with RWTH Aachen University for the establishment of NEURA Gym RWTH Aachen. This continues the global rollout of NEURA Gyms, a worldwide network of purpose-built Physical AI training facilities that address the most significant barrier to intelligent robotics: the scarcity of real-world training data. The global rollout is backed by NEURA's Series C financing of up to $1.4 billion, the largest ever raised by a full-stack robotics company. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260721136838/en/ New NEURA Gym with RWTH Aachen: NEURA Roboti

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye